Shirish Panchal

Shirish Panchal (born 1943) is a distinguished Gujarati critic, fiction writer, translator, and editor. Born in Vadodara, he earned his PhD in poetic criticism under the guidance of Suresh Joshi and has taught Gujarati language and literature at M.S. University, Vadodara. Panchal was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2009 for his criticism Vaat Aapanaa Vivechan-ni, though he famously refused the honor. His literary output includes one-act plays, short stories, and critical essays, often exploring modernity in Gujarati literature. He has contributed to the 'Makers of Indian Literature' series with studies on prominent Gujarati literary figures, including Suresh Joshi and B.K. Thakore.