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	'''Purushottama Lal''' (28 August 1929 – 3 November 2010), commonly known as '''P. Lal''', was an Indian poet, essayist, translator, professor and publisher. He was the founder of publishing firm [[Writers Workshop]] in [[Calcutta]], established in 1958.<ref>[http://www.telegraphindia.com/1101104/jsp/calcutta/story_13137450.jsp#1 The City Diary]</ref><ref>http://www.economist.com/node/17460366?fsrc=scn/fb/wl/ar/plal</ref>		'''Purushottama Lal''' (28 August 1929 – 3 November 2010), commonly known as '''P. Lal''', was an Indian poet, essayist, translator, professor and publisher. He was the founder of publishing firm [[Writers Workshop]] in [[Calcutta]], established in 1958.<ref>[http://www.telegraphindia.com/1101104/jsp/calcutta/story_13137450.jsp#1 The City Diary]</ref><ref>{{cite web\| url = http://www.economist.com/node/17460366?fsrc=scn/fb/wl/ar/plal\| title = P. Lal {{!}} The Economist}} </ref>

	==Life and education==		==Life and education==
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	His publishing enterprise was unusual in that he personally served as publisher, [[editor in chief\|editor]], reader, secretary, and editorial assistant. The books were also unique in appearance, hand-typeset on local Indian presses and bound in hand-loomed sari cloth. Writers Workshop continues to publish, under the direction of Lal's family members.		His publishing enterprise was unusual in that he personally served as publisher, [[editor in chief\|editor]], reader, secretary, and editorial assistant. The books were also unique in appearance, hand-typeset on local Indian presses and bound in hand-loomed sari cloth. Writers Workshop continues to publish, under the direction of Lal's family members.

	Some of the last works he was engaged in publishing were ''Holmes of the Raj'' by Vithal Rajan, [http://www.writersworkshopindia.com/modules/booklists/singlelink.php?cid=1&lid=739/ ''Seahorse in the Sky'']{{dead link\|date=April 2018 \|bot=InternetArchiveBot \|fix-attempted=yes }} by G Kameshwar and [http://indenglit.blogspot.com/ ''Labyrinth''] by [[Arunabha Sengupta]].		Some of the last works he was engaged in publishing were ''Holmes of the Raj'' by Vithal Rajan, [http://www.writersworkshopindia.com/modules/booklists/singlelink.php?cid=1&lid=739/ ''Seahorse in the Sky''] {{dead link\|date=April 2018 \|bot=InternetArchiveBot \|fix-attempted=yes }} by G Kameshwar and [http://indenglit.blogspot.com/ ''Labyrinth''] by [[Arunabha Sengupta]].

	===The [[Mahabharata]] Transcreated Translation===		===The [[Mahabharata]] Transcreated Translation===
	This is the most complete translation to date and is still in progress. [[Harivamsa]] Parva is still left to be "transcreated" and translated.		This is the most complete translation to date and is still in progress. [[Harivamsa]] Parva and [[Anushasana Parva]] are still left to be "transcreated" and translated.

	{\| class="sortable wikitable"		{\| class="sortable wikitable"

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{{short description|Indian writer}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox writer 
| name = Purushottama Lal
| image = PurushottamaLalPic.jpg
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1929|08|28}}
| birth_place = Kapurthala, Punjab.British India
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2010|11|3|1929|08|28}}
| death_place = Kolkata, India
| occupation = Writer, academic, translator
| language = English
| nationality = Indian
| education = M.A. in English
| alma_mater = [[St. Xavier's College, Calcutta]], and the [[University of Calcutta]]
| period = 1953–1993
| genre = Indian classics
| notableworks = Transcreation of ''[[Mahabharata]]'', ''[[Upanishads]]'' in English
| spouse = Shyamasree Nag
| children = [[Ananda Lal]], [[Srimati Lal]]
| awards = [[Padma Shri]], Honorary Doctorate of Letters, [[Western Maryland College]]
| website = {{url|http://writersworkshopindia.com/}}
}}

'''Purushottama Lal''' (28 August 1929 – 3 November 2010), commonly known as '''P. Lal''', was an Indian poet, essayist, translator, professor and publisher. He was the founder of publishing firm [[Writers Workshop]] in [[Calcutta]], established in 1958.<ref>[http://www.telegraphindia.com/1101104/jsp/calcutta/story_13137450.jsp#1 The City Diary]</ref><ref>http://www.economist.com/node/17460366?fsrc=scn/fb/wl/ar/plal</ref>

==Life and education==
Born in [[Kapurthala]] in the state of [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], Lal studied English at [[St. Xavier's College, Calcutta|St Xavier's College]], Calcutta, and later at the [[University of Calcutta]].<ref>[http://www.thestatesman.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=347497:professor-p-lal-passes-away&catid=72:bengal-plus&from_page=search Professor P Lal passes away] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120525215506/http://www.thestatesman.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=347497:professor-p-lal-passes-away&catid=72:bengal-plus&from_page=search |date=25 May 2012 }}</ref> He would later teach at St. Xavier's College for over forty years.<ref>[http://www.telegraphindia.com/1101104/jsp/calcutta/story_13137450.jsp#1 The City Diary]</ref> A friend of Fr [[Robert Antoine]], he aspired to be a [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]] when young, and that haunted his entire oeuvre and life.<ref>Lessons</ref>

P. Lal was Special Professor of Indian Studies at [[Hofstra University]] from 1962 to 1963, and held Visiting Professorships at many colleges and universities throughout America. These included [[University of Illinois]], [[Albion College]], [[Ohio University]], [[Hartwick College]], [[Berea College]], and [[Western Maryland College]].<ref>[http://www.thestatesman.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=347497:professor-p-lal-passes-away&catid=72:bengal-plus&from_page=search Professor P Lal passes away] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120525215506/http://www.thestatesman.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=347497:professor-p-lal-passes-away&catid=72:bengal-plus&from_page=search |date=25 May 2012 }}</ref>

He married Shyamasree Devi in 1955, and had a son, [[Ananda Lal]], and a daughter, [[Srimati Lal]].

==Career==
He wrote eight books of poetry, over a dozen volumes of literary criticism, a memoir, several books of stories for children, as well as dozens of [[translations]] from other languages, chiefly [[Sanskrit]], into English. He also edited a number of literary anthologies.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090304153115/http://www.hindu.com/lr/2009/03/01/stories/2009030150010100.htm Writer's Workshop @ fifty]</ref> He was awarded the prestigious [[Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship]] in 1969.<ref>{{cite web| title = Official list of Jawaharlal Nehru Fellows (1969-present)|work = [[Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund]] | url = http://www.jnmf.in/flist.html }}</ref>

He is perhaps best known as the translator and "transcreator" of the [[epic poem]] [[Mahabharata]] in English. His translation, which was published in an edition of over 300 fascicules since the early 1970s, was republished in a collated edition of 18 large volumes. His ''Mahabharata'' is the most complete in any language, comprising all the slokas. His translation is characteristically both poetic and swift to read, and oriented to the oral/musical tradition in which the work was originally created. To emphasise this tradition, he began reading the entire 100,000-sloka work aloud in 1999, for one hour each Sunday at a Calcutta library hall.

In addition to the Mahabharata, his translations from Sanskrit included a number of other religious and literary works, including 21 of the [[Upanisads]], as well as plays and lyric poetry. He also translated modern writers such as [[Premchand]] (from the [[Hindi]]) and [[Rabindranath Tagore|Tagore]] (from the [[Bengali language|Bengali]]).

Since his founding of [[Writers Workshop]], he published over 3000 volumes by Indian literary authors, mostly in English, including poetry, fiction, educational texts, screenplays, drama, "serious comics," and children's books, as well as audiobooks. Writers Workshop has published first books by many authors including [[Vikram Seth]], [[Pritish Nandy]] and [[Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090304153115/http://www.hindu.com/lr/2009/03/01/stories/2009030150010100.htm Writer's Workshop @ fifty]</ref>

His publishing enterprise was unusual in that he personally served as publisher, [[editor in chief|editor]], reader, secretary, and editorial assistant. The books were also unique in appearance, hand-typeset on local Indian presses and bound in hand-loomed sari cloth. Writers Workshop continues to publish, under the direction of Lal's family members.

Some of the last works he was engaged in publishing were ''Holmes of the Raj'' by Vithal Rajan, [http://www.writersworkshopindia.com/modules/booklists/singlelink.php?cid=1&lid=739/ ''Seahorse in the Sky'']{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} by G Kameshwar and [http://indenglit.blogspot.com/ ''Labyrinth''] by [[Arunabha Sengupta]].

===The [[Mahabharata]] Transcreated Translation===
This is the most complete translation to date and is still in progress. [[Harivamsa]] Parva is still left to be "transcreated" and translated.

{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
! Volume Number
! Volume Title
! Sub-Parva
! Pages
! Price (INR)
! Translator and "Transcreator"
|-
| 01
| [[Adi Parva]] (The Beginning)
| 1–19
| 1232
| 2000
| P. Lal
|-
| 02
| [[Sabha Parva]] (The Assembly Hall)
| 20-28
| 520
| 600
| P. Lal
|-
| 03
| [[Vana Parva]] (The Forest)
| 29-44
| 1572
| 2000
| P. Lal
|-
| 04
| [[Virata Parva]] ([[Virata]])
| 45-48
| 416
| 400
| P. Lal
|-
| 05
| [[Udyoga Parva]] (The Effort)
| 49-59
| 976
| 1000
| P. Lal
|-
| 06
| [[Bhishma Parva]] ([[Bhishma]])
| 60-64
| 928
| 1000
| P. Lal
|-
| 07
| [[Drona Parva]] ([[Drona]])
| 65-72
| 1536
| 1200
| P. Lal
|-
| 08
| [[Karna Parva]] ([[Karna]])
| 73
| 1036
| 1000
| P. Lal
|-
| 09
| [[Shalya Parva]] ([[Shalya]])
| 74-77
| 700
| 1000
| P. Lal
|-
| 10
| [[Sauptika Parva]] (The Sleeping Warriors)
| 78-80
| 176
| 200
| P. Lal
|-

| 11
| [[Stri Parva]] (The Women)
| 81-85
| 176
| 200
| P. Lal
|-
| 12
| [[Shanti Parva|Shanti Parva 1]] (Peace)
| 86-87
| 1016
| 2000
| P. Lal
|-
| 12
| [[Shanti Parva| Shanti Parva 2]] (Peace)
| 88
| 1112
| 2000
| Pradeep Bhattacharya
|-
| 13
| [[Anushasana Parva]] (The Instructions)
| 89-90
| ?
| TBA
| Pradeep Bhattacharya
|-
| 14
| [[Ashvamedhika Parva]] (The Horse Sacrifice)
| 91–92
| 444
| 300
| P. Lal
|-
| 14
| [[Jaimini]]ya [[Ashvamedhika Parva]] ([[Jaimini]]'s Version of The Horse Sacrifice)
| 91–92
| 488
| 800 (70 USD outside [[India]])
| Shekhar Kumar Sen (Editor: Pradeep Bhattacharya)
|-
| 15
| [[Ashramavasika Parva]] (The Hermitage)
| 93-95
| 172
| 150
| P. Lal
|-
| 16
| [[Mausala Parva]] (The Clubs)
| 96
| 64
| 150
| P. Lal
|-
| 17
| [[Mahaprasthanika Parva]] (The Great Journey)
| 97
| 36
| 150
| P. Lal
|-
| 18
| [[Svargarohana Parva]] (The Ascent to Heaven)
| 98
| 80
| 150
| P. Lal
|-
| 19 (Khila)
| [[Harivamsa]] Parva (The Genealogy of [[Hari]])
| 99-101
| ?
| TBA
| TBA
|}

==See also==
{{portal|Poetry}}
*[[Indian English Poetry]]
*[[Indian English Literature]]
*[[Writers Workshop]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
A Daughter Remembers: P. Lal and Writers Workshop, by Srimati Lal, CONFLUENCE, UK :
* http://www.confluence.org.uk/a-daughter-remembers-plal-and-writers-workshop/
* https://web.archive.org/web/20160304025136/http://fullcirclebooks.in/node/59492 / FLOWERS FOR MY FATHER, by Srimati Lal, pub. 2011
* https://web.archive.org/web/20130115160322/http://harmonyindia.org/hportal/VirtualPageView.jsp?page_id=19310
* Kanchangupta.blogspot.com/2010/11/pro-p-lal-in-memoriam.html Prof P Lal, in memoriam by Kanchan Gupta
* [http://www.writersworkshopindia.com/ Writer's Workshop]
* [http://indenglit.blogspot.com/ Writer's Workshop New Releases]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927143743/http://www.harmonyindia.org/hportal/media/NewsDetails.jsp?page_id=338&id=N228&divId=312 Harmony Magazine on P. Lal]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090304153115/http://www.hindu.com/lr/2009/03/01/stories/2009030150010100.htm 50 Years of Writer's Workshop]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121021172835/http://www.thehindu.com/arts/books/article931301.ece A True Pioneer] in [[The Hindu]]

{{Authority control}}
{{lists of poets |state=collapsed}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lal, P.}}
[[Category:English-language poets from India]]
[[Category:Writers from Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Bengali writers]]
[[Category:Indian male essayists]]
[[Category:Indian literary critics]]
[[Category:Indian academics]]
[[Category:Indian magazine editors]]
[[Category:University of Calcutta alumni]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in literature & education]]
[[Category:University of Calcutta faculty]]
[[Category:Ohio University faculty]]
[[Category:Albion College faculty]]
[[Category:Berea College faculty]]
[[Category:1929 births]]
[[Category:2010 deaths]]
[[Category:St. Xavier's College, Kolkata alumni]]
[[Category:Indian publishers (people)]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian translators]]
[[Category:Sanskrit–English translators]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian poets]]
[[Category:Indian male poets]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian essayists]]
[[Category:Jawaharlal Nehru Fellows]]

Purushottama Lal - Revision history

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