Kamala Das was an Indian poet and author from Kerala who wrote in Malayalam and English. She was born in 1934 and began writing at a young age, publishing in both English and Malayalam throughout her career. Some of her notable works include her autobiography My Story, collections of poetry like Summer in Calcutta, and short stories. Kamala Das passed away in 2009 and is remembered as one of the pioneering voices in Indian English poetry.
2. Kamala Surayya formely known
as kamala das and also
Known as Madhavikutty
She was an Indian poet and literature
And at a same time a leading Malayalam
Author from kerala
3.
4. Kamala das was born in Punnayurkulam, Thrissur
district in kerala, on 31 march 1934, to V.M. Nair
a former managing editor and Malayali poetess
She spent her childhood between Calcutta where
her father was employed as a senior officer in the
Walford Transport company that sold Bentley and
Rolls Royce automobiles
Like her mother, Balamani Amma, she also excelled
in writing.
5. She started writing and
publishing both in English and
Malayalam.
At the age of 15 she got married
to bank officer Madhava Das, who
encouraged her writings interests.
It was a tumultuous time for the arts, and kamala
das was one of the Many voices that came up and
started rising of the Indian English Poets.
6. Das was noted for her many Malayam short stories
as well as many poems written in English.
She was also a syndicated colmnist.
She once claimed that “poetry does not
Sell in this country (India)” but her
forthright columns, which sounded off on
everything from women’s issues and child
care to politics, were popular.
7. Das first book of poetry, summer in calcutta was a
Breath of fresh air in Indian English poetry.
At the age of 42, she published a daring
autobiography, My story and then she
admitted that much of the autobiography
had fictional elements.
Das wrote about a range of topics from the story of
poor old servant or about the sexual disposition of
upper middle class women living near a metropolitan
city or in the middle of ghetto .
Her works are known for their originality,
Versatility and the indigenous flavor of the soil.
8. Her poem “My mother at sixty- six” is an excellent
example of showing an ever unfalling relationship
between a daughter and her mother.
Some of her better known stories include
Pakshiyude , Manam, Neypayasam, thanuppu and
Chandana Marangal.
In her novels Neermathalam pootha kalam was a
populared one.
She travelled extensively to read poetry to Germany
University of Duisburg , University of Bonn and
Adelaide writer’s festival, Frankfurt book fair,
University of kingdom, Jamaica, Singapore and her
works are also available in French, Spanish, Russian
German and Japanese.
9. She had also held positions as vice chairperson in
Kerala Sahitya Acadamey and in Kerala Forestry
Board president of the Kerala Children’s flim society,
Poetry editor of illustrated Weekly of India.
Das reflected her social concern in such short stories
as “Padmavati the Harlot” in 1992 and “A Doll for the
Child Prostitute” in 1997
In 2009 The Times called her “the mother of modern
English Indian poetry”.
10. She was born in a conservative
Hindu Nair family Having a royal
ancestry and on December 11, 1999
at the age of 65 Das converted to
Islam.
Kamala Das changed her name as
Kamala Surayya
11. She launched a national political party, Lok Seva
Party aiming asylum to orphaned mothers and
Promotions of secularism.
In 1984 she unsuccessfully
contested in the Indian
parliament elections.
12. Nominated and shortlisted for Nobel Prize for
Literature in 1984.
Award of Asian PEN anthology – 1964
Kerala Sahitya Academy Award – 1969 (for Cold)
Sahitya Academy Award – 1985
Asian Poetry Prize – 1998
Kent Award for English Writing from Asian
Countries – 1999
Vayalar Award – 2001
Honorary D.Litt by University of Calicut – 2006
Muttathu Varkey Award – 2006
Ezhuthachan Puraskaram – 2009
13. 1964: The Sirens (Asian Poetry Prize winner)
1965: Summer in Calcutta ( Kent's Award winner)
1967: The Descendants (poetry)
1973: The Old Playhouse and Other Poems (poetry)
1976: My Story (autobiography)
1977: Alphabet of Lust (novel)
1985: The Anamalai Poems (poetry)
1992: Padamavati the Harlot and Other Stories
1996: Only the Soul Knows How to Sing (poetry)
2001: Yaa Allah (collection of poems)
1979: Tonight,This Savage Rite (with Pritish Nandy)
1999: My Mother at Sixty-six (Poem)
– : My Grandmother House (Poem
14. Kamala Das had three dons
M D Nalapat, Chinnen Das
and Jayasurya Das
On 31 May 2009, aged 75 she
died at a hospital in Pune.
15. Her body was flown to
her home state Kerala.
And she was buried at
the Palayam Jama
Masjid at
Thiruvanathapuram with
full state honour.
Soon, Vidhya Balan will portray her in a biopic
flim.
