Vijaydan Detha (1 September 1926 – 10 November 2013), also known as Bijji, was a noted Indian writer of Rajasthani literature. He was a recipient of several awards including the Padma Shri and the Sahitya Akademi Award.

Detha has more than 800 short stories to his credit, which have been translated into English and other languages. With Komal Kothari, he founded Rupayan Sansthan, an institute that documents Rajasthani folklore, art, and music. His literary works include Bataan ri Phulwari (Garden of Tales), a 14-volume collection of stories that draws on folklore in the spoken dialects of Rajasthan. Many of his stories and novels have been adapted for the stage and the screen: adaptations include Mani Kaul's Duvidha (1973), Habib Tanvir and Shyam Benegal's Charandas Chor (1975), Prakash Jha's Parinati (1986), Amol Palekar's Paheli (2005), Pushpendra Singh's The Honour Keeper (2014), Dedipya Joshii's Kaanchli Life in a Slough (2020), Pushpendra Singh's Laila aur Satt Geet (2020)

Biography
Detha said, "My land [Rajasthan] is full of stories, whatever I've written is just a drop of the ocean". Detha, was inspired by Shah Govradhan Lal Kabra to write in Rajasthani "till date I have not written in any other language", he said regarding his love for the language. He portrayed the sufferings of the poor in his writings and was also tipped for the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2011 which ultimately went to Tomas Tranströmer.

Works

Rajasthani
 Batan Ri Phulwari, vol. 1–14, 1960–1975, folklores Published by Rajasthani Granthagar, Jodhpur
 Prerana co-edited with Komal Kothari, 1953
 Soratha, 1956–1958
 Parampara , edited three special issues – Folk songs, Gora Hatja, Jethava Ra 
 Rajasthani Lokgeet, folk songs of Rajasthan, six volumes, 1958
 Tido Rao, first pocket book in Rajasthani, 1965
 Uljhan,1984, novel
 Alekhun Hitler, 1984, short stories
 Roonkh, 1987
 Kaboo Rani, 1989, children's stories

Hindi 
Due to respect for his mother tongue Rajasthani, Bijji has never written in any other language, most of his works are translated into Hindi by one of his sons Kailash Kabeer.

Baton Ki Bagiya vol. 1–14, 2019, (Hindi translation of Batan Ri Phulwari) Published by Rajasthani Granthagar, Jodhpur
Usha, 1946, poetry
Bapu ke teen hatyare, 1948, critics
Column in Jwala Weekly, 1949–1952
Sahitya aur samaj, 1960, essays
Anokha Ped, illustrated children's stories, 1968
Phoolwari, Hindi translation by Kailash Kabir, 1992
Chaudharain Ki Chaturai, short stories, 1996
Antaral, 1997, short stories
Sapan Priya, 1997, short stories
Mero Darad Na Jane Koy, 1997, essays
Atirikta, 1997, critics
Mahamilan, novel, 1998
Priya Mrinal, short stories, 1998

Detha also been credited for editing following works
 Complete work of Ganeshi Lal Vyas for Sahitya Akademi
 Rajasthani-Hindi Kahawat Kosh

Awards and honours
Sahitya Akademi Award for Rajasthani in 1974
Bhartiya Bhasa Parishad Award in 1992
Marudhara Puraskar in 1995
Bihari Puraskar in 2002 
Sahitya Chudamani Award in 2006
Padma Shri in 2007
Rao Siha 2011 by Mehrangarh Museum Trust
Kavi Kag Award, 2011
Rajasthan Ratna in 2012

References

Bibliography

External links

 Detha's two stories translated in English from World without border
 English translation of The epic of straw
 Detha's interview on Tehelka
 Detha's Authograph and picture
 Vijaydan Detha, BBC Hindi, 10 November 2013

1926 births
2013 deaths
Writers from Rajasthan
Rajasthani people
Recipients of the Padma Shri in literature & education
Rajasthani-language writers
Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Rajasthani
People from Jodhpur
Indian children's writers
20th-century Indian novelists
20th-century Indian poets
20th-century Indian short story writers
Indian folklorists