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Kamala Das
(1934-2009) is one of the foremost Indian writers writing in English. She was
born in Punnayurkulam, Thrissur District in Kerala, on March 31, 1934,
to V. M. Nair, a former managing editor of the widely-circulated Malayalam daily Mathrubhumi,
and Nalappatt Balamani
Amma, a renowned Malayali poetess.She writes both English and her mother tongue
Malayallm. Kamala Das is looked at as one of the exceptional Indian poets
writing in English, even though her reputation and esteem in Kerala is based
primarily on her short stories and autobiography. Much of Kamala Das`s writing
in Malayalam is published in the pen name `Madhavikkutty`.
At the age of
15, she got married to bank officer Madhava Das, who encouraged her writing
interests, and she started writing and publishing both in English and in
Malayalam. Calcutta in the 1960s was a tumultous time for the arts, and Kamala
Das was one of the many voices that came up and started appearing in cult
anthologies along with a generation of Indian English poets. Kamala Das born
into a conservative Hindu Nair (Nallappattu) household possessing royal
ancestry, Kamala Das had embraced Islam in 1999 at the age of 65 and assumed
the name Kamala Suraiya. Just like the subjects of her stories, conversion in
religious faith too had provoked much heat and storm in the social and literary
circuits. Kamala Das also took active participation in politics in India and
had launched a national political party, called the Lok Seva Party. The
foremost aim of the party is to focus wholly on humanitarian work, as well as
provide refuge to orphaned mothers and promote secularism. In 1984, Das had
contested the general elections to enter parliament, but lost.
Kamala
Das is also popularly known as Madhavikutty in her mother-tongue, Malayalam. She
is counted as one of the principal short story writers in Malayalam. In any
given listing, Das numbers amongst the top five writers, even after bearing in
mind personal choices and socio-cultural background of her readers. Kamala
Das`s writing technique is indeed economical and the utilisation of language is
pretty precise. Her vastly applauded stories in Malayalam include Pakshiyude
Manam, Neypayasam, Thanuppu, and Chandana Marangal. Das also wrote a few
novels, among which Neermathalam Pootha Kalam excels every other, which was
received positively by the readers as well as the critics. It reanimates the
nostalgia of an old ancestral home with it adjoining snake shrine. It is often
stated that even Kamala Das`s casual talks falls in the genre of short stories.
Such is the Indian poetess` creative genius that even after buckling under several
unwanted controversies, she remains a widely admired figure.
She received
the poetry award of the Asian PEN Anthology in 1964 and the Kerala Sahitya
Academy Award in 1969. The latter was awarded to her for a collection of short
stories entitled cold. Her works include Summer in Calcutta (1965), The
Descendants (1967), The Old Playhouse and other poems (1973), and her
autobiography My Story (1974).
FAMOUS WORKS
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English
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Malayalam
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The Sirens (Asian Poetry Prize winner)
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Pakshiyude Manam (short stories)
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Summer in Calcutta (poetry; Kent's Award
winner)
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Naricheerukal Parakkumbol (short
stories)
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The Descendants (poetry)
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Thanuppu (short story, Sahitya
Academi award)
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The Old Playhouse and Other Poems (poetry)
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Ente Katha (autobiography)
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My Story (autobiography)
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Balyakala Smaranakal (Childhood
Memories)
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Alphabet of Lust (novel)
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Varshangalkku Mumbu (Years Before)
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The Anamalai Poems (poetry)
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Palayan (novel)
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Padmavati the Harlot and Other Stories
(collection of short stories)
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Neypayasam (short story)
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Only the Soul Knows How to Sing (poetry)
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Dayarikkurippukal (novel)
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Yaa Allah (collection of poems)
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Neermathalam Pootha Kalam (novel, Vayalar
Award)
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Tonight,This Savage Rite (with Pritish
Nandy)
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Chekkerunna Pakshikal (short stories)
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My Mother At Sixty-six (Poem)
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Nashtapetta Neelambari (short
stories)
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My Grandmother
House (Poem)
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"Ente Kadha" (Autobiography)
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Chandana Marangal (Novel)
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Madhavikkuttiyude Unmakkadhakal (short
stories)
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Vandikkalakal (novel)
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My Mother At Sixty-six (Poem
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Awards
v Nominated and shortlisted for Nobel Prize in 1984.
v Asian Poetry Prize-1998
v Kent Award for English Writing from Asian Countries-1999
v Asian World Prize-2000
v Ezhuthachan Award-2009
v Sahitya Academy Award-2003
v Vayalar Award2001
v Kerala Sahitya Academy Award-2005
v Muttathu Varkey Award
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