Umashankar Jethalal Joshi (pronunciationⓘ) (21 July 1911 – 19 December 1988) was an Indian poet, scholar and writer known for his contributions to Gujarati literature.

Umashankar Joshi was born to Jethalal Kamalji and Navalbai in a small village named Bamna (now in Bhiloda Taluka of Aravalli district, Gujarat).

[3] Umashankar Joshi's father, Jethalal who worked as a Karbhari of several Jagirs, wanted his sons to get an English education.

In 1916, Joshi started his education at Primary school in Bamna and spent two years in 4th standard due to the absence of the teacher for a long time.

As a boy who was raised in an orthodox environment, Joshi always heard "highly sensitive and expressive language" which shaped his future style, especially in writing plays.

After a joyous journey to the hilltop, the autumnal fall moon and the lake inspired Joshi to write his first-ever published poem.

[4] The poem, Nakhee Sarovare Sarat poornimaa (Tr: Autumnal full moon at Nakki Lake) which was published in Gujarat college magazine, describes writing poetry in a stanza:

In January 1929, Joshi participated in a strike called by students of Gujarat Schools and colleges and this marked his first association with ongoing National movement in India.

[4] Between 1930 and 1934, when Joshi was participating in the Independence struggle, he wrote several poems, plays, articles, novels, and stories in Gujarati.

By the time he joined Elphinstone College to pursue Graduation in arts, his works were in the school curriculum and he became established writer in Gujarati literature.

In jail, he read Jawaharlal Nehru's account and Tagore's letters on their visit to Russia, Maurice G. Hindus's Humanity Uprooted, and Karl Marx's Das Kapital.

[4] In this period, Joshi along with his dearest friend and collaborator Sundaram led the young generation of writers who were associated with Freedom movement and also concerned about other social issues.

While the first poem in Joshi's poetry anthology Nishith was written while aboard an electric train at midnight, on a blank space left in a letter, Joshi said that not only the meter of Vedic invocations but also the rhythm of the electric train creep into the structure of the poem.

According to Joshi, this shift is due to several reasons: shift in political interests because of World war II, progressive poetry movement resulting in degeneration of style and aesthetic interests, and the rise of a new kind of poetry in Gujarati led by young poets like Prahlad Parekh.

The trust also undertook a project of translating texts from Indian and foreign languages into Gujarati with the support from ‘Nisheeth Purskar Granth Mala’.

In 1953, he served as a visiting faculty at Lokbharti Shikshan Sanstha which was an educational institution in Sanosara, Bhavnagar district, Gujarat.

He wrote prefaces to works of many contemporary poets like Prahlad Parekh, Krishnalal Shridharani, Nathalal Dave and others.

[8] In March 1954, Umashankar Joshi was appointed Member of the General Council and the executive committee of Sahitya Akademi from its inception.

[3][6] In 1956, he toured America and England as a member of a committee sent by the Indian Government to study the activities of 'General Education' in American and some British universities.

M. V. Desai considered that Chinnabhinna cchu and Shodh (The search) poems "mark a milestone depicting a sense of disintegration of the human personality and of seeking poetic beauty in words.

In 1956, Joshi stated that his collections, Hriday Ma Padeli Chhabio (Images Imprinted in the Heart) and Ishamishida Ane Anya are the character sketches of the literary and historical figures whom he had met.

[17] Umashankar Joshi received the Jnanpith Award for his work Nishanth along with Kannada poet K.V.Puttapa (for Ramayana Darsana) in 1967.

In his acceptance speech, Umashankar Joshi reiterated his belief about Unity of national identity and world-mindedness by saying "What goes into the making of an Indian poet in the present-day world?

[5] During Emergency in India, Joshi showed his courage and commitment to his principles by advocating free speech in such an oppression.

[4] His works include:[18] In Urdu literary journal Naya Adab, Ibham Rasheed called Joshi one of great writers of India and added that his "prose and poem delve into a space that tempts humans for deception and barbarity".