Nationality Indian Role Poet | Name Mallika Sengupta Known for Poet | |
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Full Name Mallika Sengupta Books Purushke Lekha Chithi, Chheleke History Parate Giye Similar Subodh Sarkar, Sunil Gangopadhyay, Joy Goswami | ||
droupadi jonmo poet mallika sengupta recitation indrani dasgupta
Mallika Sengupta (Bengali: মল্লিকা সেনগুপ্ত,1960–2011) was a Bengali poet, feminist, and reader of Sociology from Kolkata, known for her "unapologetically political poetry".
Contents
- droupadi jonmo poet mallika sengupta recitation indrani dasgupta
- Apni bolun marx mallika sengupta
- Biography
- Activism and literary themes
- Awards and honours
- Poetry
- Poetry in English translation
- Novels
- Books on sociology of gender
- Translation
- Bengali poetry anthology
- References
Apni bolun marx mallika sengupta
Biography
Sengupta was the head of the Department of Sociology in Maharani Kasiswari College, an undergraduate college affiliated with the University of Calcutta in Kolkata, Sengupta was much better known for her literary activity. The author of more than 20 books including 14 volumes of poetry and two novels, she was widely translated and was a frequent invitee at international literary festivals.
For twelve years in the 90s she was the poetry editor of Sananda, the largest circulated Bengali fortnightly (edited by Aparna Sen). Along with her husband, the noted poet Subodh Sarkar, she was the founder-editor of Bhashanagar, a culture magazine in Bengali.
English translations of her work have appeared in various Indian and American anthologies. In addition to teaching, editing and writing, she was actively involved with the cause of gender justice and other social issues.
A victim of breast cancer, she was under treatment since October 2005 and died on 28 May 2011.
Activism and literary themes
Sengupta was also active in a number of protest and gender activism groups. Her fiery, combative tone is noticeable in many poems, e.g. "While teaching my son history":
Man alone was both God and GoddessMan was both father and motherBoth tune and fluteBoth penis and vaginaAs we have learnt from history. – from Mallika Sengupta, Kathamanabi, Bhashanagar, kolkata, 2005, (tr. poet)often dealing with women's marginalised role in history:
after the battle said chenghis khanthe greatest pleasure of life,is in front of the vanquished enemyto sleep with his favourite wife. – JuddhasheShe nArI – from Mallika Sengupta, Kathamanabi, Bhashanagar, kolkata, 2005, (tr. amitabha mukerjee)Particularly evocative is her feminist rendition of the legend of khanA, a medieval female poet whose tongue was allegedly cut off by her jealous husband:
In Bengal in the Middle agesLived a woman Khanaa, I sing her lifeThe first Bengali woman poetHer tongue they severed with a knifeHer speechless voice, "Khanaar Bachan"Still resonates in the hills and skiesOnly the poet by the name of KhanaaBleeding she dies. – khanA, tr. amitabha mukerjee