ASHOK VAJPEYI, a Hindi poet-critic, translator, editor and culture-activist, is a major Indian cultural figure, with more than 30 books of poetry, criticism in Hindi English to his credit. He has won numerous award including the Sahitya Akademi Award, the Dayawati Kavi Shekhar Samman, Kabir Samman, Shakti Chattopadhyay Puraskar, and K Ramkrishnan Award. He has been decorated with honours by the governments of France and Poland. He set up the renowned Bharat Bhavan in Bhopal; has been the first Vice-Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University and Chairman, Lalit Kala Akademi. He is the Managing Trustee of the Raza Foundation.