Gieve Patel

Gieve Patel (born 18 August 1940) is an Indian poet, playwright, painter, as well as a practising physician. He belongs to a group of writers who have subscribed themselves to the 'Green Movement' which is involved in an effort to protect the environment. His poems speak of deep concerns for nature and expose man's cruelty to it. His works include poems, "How Do You Withstand" (1966), "Body" (1976) and "Mirrored Mirroring" (1991). He has also written three plays, "Titled Princess", "Savaska" and "Mr. Behram".
Early life.
Patel was born in 1940 in Mumbai. His parents were from a small village called Nargol in southern Gujarat. His father was a dentist and his mother was the daughter of a doctor. He was educated at St. Xavier's High School and Grant Medical College, Mumbai. He lives in Mumbai where he is a general practitioner.
Career.
Patel's poetical works include "Poems," launched by Nissim Ezekiel, followed by "How Do You Withstand, Body and Mirrored Mirroring". His plays include "Princes, Savaksa and Mr Behram". A common theme throughout Patel's work is the relationship between his landowning family and the tribal Warlis that worked in their estate.
He held his first art show in Mumbai in 1966, and went on to have several major exhibitions in India and abroad. He participated in the Menton Biemale, France in 1976. "India, Myth and Reality," Oxford in 1982; "Contemporary Indian Art," Royal Academy, London 1982. Patel belongs to an avant-garde groupe of artists based in Bombay and Baroda.
He also exhibited for Contemporary Indian Art, Grey Art Gallery, New York City, 1985, Indian Art from the Herwitz collection Worcester Art Museum, Massachusetts, 1985 and "Coups de Coeur" Geneva, 1987.
He conducted poetry workshops in Rishi Valley School for more than a decade, and edited a collection of poetry published in 2006. His poetry is included in "Anthology of Contemporary Indian Poetry" (BigBridge, United States). One of his Poems "Licence" from the collection "How do you Withstand" is included in the anthology "Confronting Love" edited by Arundhati Subramanyam and Jerry Pinto.
He has been translating poems from the 17th century Gujarati poet Akho into English.