Bengali Author Sunil Gangopadhay Profile, Biography and His Work

Sunil Gangopadhay as a novelist, as a poet and as a human being is posted in this article.

Sunil Gangopadhay is one of the most celebrated writers in recent times in West Bengal. In his early days, Sunil Gangopadhay was a poet but gradually he concentrates more on writing novels and short stories. There may be a strong debate whether poet Sunil is better than novelist Sunil Gangopadhay.  Shakti Chottopadhyay, famous modern Bengali poet and friend of Sunil Gangopadhay once said in an interview that he knows only poet Sunil Gangopadhay. Anyway, Sunil Gangopadhay as a poet and Sunil Gangopadhay as a novelist, both are unparallel.

Brief Profile of Bengali Author Sunil Gangopadhay

The famous Indian poet and novelist, Sunil Gangopadhyay was born in 7 September 1934. His birth place is at Faridpur, presently in Bangladesh. Sunil Gangopadhay  is master degree holder in Bengali from University of Calcutta. Swati Gangopadhay is wife of Sunil Gangopadhay, it’s a love marriage which held on 26^thFebruary, 1967. Swati Gangopadhay’s parents were against the marriage as at that time Sunil Gangopadhyay was unemployed and his source of income at that time was private tuition.  However Swati Gangopadhyay had full faith in Sunil and they are considered as one of the ideal celebrity couples in West Bengal.  Sauvik is the only son of Sunil and Swati Gangopadhyay and presently settled in abroad.

Sunil Gangopadhyay knows how to enjoy life. Young Sunil Gangopadhyay during his College days was little bit bohemian. Sunil Gangopadhyay, Shakti Chottopadhyay, Sarat Mukhopadhyay and few others were in a group and during those days they were regular visitors in famous Coffee House in Kolkata.  Sunil Gangopadhyay is very liberal minded so far as religion is concerned. Sunil Gangopadhyay has written an auto biography named ‘Ardhek Jiban’.

Author Sunil Gangopadhay

Sunil Gagopadhyay is a great poet of modern Bengali poetry. Sunil is also a great novelist of recent times.  Sunil Gangopadhay himself considers poetry as his ‘first love’.  ‘Nira’ series poetries of Sunil Gangopadhay are unparallel.  Aranyer Din-Raatri, Ekaa Ebong Koyekjon, Sei Somoy, Purba Paschim are few of the famous novels of Sunil Gangopadhyay. Sunil Gangopadhyay has written for children also. Kakababu series stories of Sunil Gangopadhyay are excellent. Sunil Gangopadhyay has written many novels as Nillohit. The novels of Nillohitare based on ‘Dik Sunyo Pur’ – a non-existing location.

Awards Received by Sunil Gangopadhyay

Sunil Gangopadhyay has received many awards so far and few of the awards are:

 Ananda Purashkar in 1972

 Sahitya Academi Award in 1985

 Ananda Purashkar in 1989

Sheriff of Kolkata in 2002

Saraswati Samman in 2004

Hindu Literary Prize in 2011

Sunil Gangopadhyay died on 23 October 2012- Mahanavami day of Durga Puja 2012.

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Mahasweta Devi – the great writer and social activist from West Bengal

Mahasweta Devi and her work. The great writer of West Bengal is always vocal regarding the injustice of poor and tribal. This article is on Mahasweta Devi.

Mahasweta Devi was born in 1926 in Dhaka, presently in Bangladesh.

Brief profile of Mahasweta Devi

Father: Manish Ghatak, well known poet and novelist

Mother: Dharitri Devi, writer and social worker

Uncle: Ritwik Ghatak

Schooling at Dhaka but after independence she and her family settled in West Bengal. Mahasweta Devi completed her B.A. (H) in English from Viswabharati University and M.A. in English from Calcutta University.

She married Bijon Bhattacharjee but in 1959 she got divorce. Mahasweta Devi has a son, Nabarun Bhattacharjee.

 Work of Mahasweta Devi

Mahasweta Devi was a teacher in Bijoygarh College, she is a writer, she worked as journalist and she has devoted her entire life for the development of tribal communities of West Bengal, Lodhas and Shabars.  She has written on sufferings of these tribal communities in her great novels. Mahasweta Devi is one of those rare novelists who writes from the believe of her heart. Still at this age she physically stands by the poor to help them. When there is any injustice in the society, her pen starts writing.

Mahasweta Devi is a great writer and there is no doubt about it but as a human being she is at much higher position. In recent Singur and Nandigram episodes in Bengal, Mahasweta Devi worked as a motivating factor for most of the Bengalis to raise their voice against the then ruling party.

Novels and stories of Mahasweta Devi

Bangla Jhansir Rani

Aranyer Adhikar

Agnigarbha

Choti Munda evam Tar Tir

Imaginary Maps

Dhowli, short Story

Dust on the Road, translated into English

Our non-Veg cow, translated into English

Bashai Tud, translated into English

Titu Mir

 Rudali

Breast Stories, translated into English

Of Women, Outcasts, Peasants, and Rebels, translated into English

Ek-kori's Dream, translated into English

In Other Worlds: Essays in Cultural Politics, translated into English

Kulaputra, translated into Kannada

The Why-Why Girl

Dakatey Kahini

Major awards for Mahasweta Devi

1979: Sahitya Akademi Award for Aranyer Adhikar (novel)

1986: Padma Shri

1996: Jnanpith Award - the highest literary award

1997: Ramon Magsaysay Award

1999: Honoris causa – IGNOU

2006: Padma Vibhushan

2010:Yashwantrao Chavan National Award

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