DIGITAL ALBUM KAMALA DAS-1

DIGITAL ALBUM

DIGITAL ALBUM

KAMALA Das : the indian confessional poet

INDIAN WOMEN IN HISTORY Kamala Das was one of the most prominent feminist voices in the postcolonial era. She wrote in her mother tongue Malayalam as well as in English. To her Malayalam readers she was Madhavi Kutty and to her English patrons she was Kamala Das. On account of her extensive contribution to the poetry in our country, she earned the label ‘The Mother of Modern Indian English Poetry’. She has also been likened to literary greats like Sylvia Plath because of the confessional style of her writing. On the occasion of her birth anniversary, we look into the remarkable life of this literary icon.

Childhood Kamala Das was born on 31st March 1934. A part of her childhood was spent in her ancestral home in Malabar, Kerala and the other part in Calcutta where her father was posted for work. Kamala Das belonged to a family considered the literary royalty of Kerala. Her mother Balamani Amma was a famous poet and her grand uncle Nalapat Narayana Menon a respected writer. Das’ childhood as described in her autobiography was very culturally enriched. Her fascination with writing began at a young age while watching her elders immersed in their work. When she was as young as six, she started a manuscript magazine where she would write ‘sad poems about dolls who had lost their heads and had to remain headless for eternity’ while her brother would illustrate the verses. As she grew older she put together a children’s theatre with her brother, where they performed plays ranging from Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables to Kalidas’ Sakuntalam. The stage was set in the patio of their ancestral home and was open for all the villagers to come see.



THROUGH THE PAST ……… 1949

BACKGROUND Born into a family where her parents had a literary background, she naturally inherited a disposition towards writing. Married at the age of 15 to a bank officer, Madhav Das, who encouraged her passion for writing, she found herself writing in two languages. Kamala was fortunate to be located in the city of Calcutta, which in the 1960s afforded good opportunities for creative talent. She began to publish her work in cult anthologies, along with a budding generation of Indian English poets. Kamala attended literary events in Germany, Jamaica, London and Canada, where she was invited to read her poetry. She also held literary positions in her state of Kerala and for a national daily. In 2009, the Times called her the “mother of modern English poetry.” Among her many notable achievements are the Pen Asian Poetry Prize in 1963 and a nomination for the Nobel Prize in 1984. She also became a syndicated columnist expressing her views on women, children, and politics. Kamala lived by her own terms all of her life, which is clearly visible in her writings. .........

Literary Career Kamala Das is known for her short stories in Malayam and for poems in English. Her use of explicit tone of sexuality and vulgarity makes her stand out among others. She is often compared to women poets like Marguerite Duras and Sylvia Plath for her use of direct tone. Her first book of poetry titled Summer In Calcutta (1965) deals with the themes of love, betrayal and anguish. She published an autobiography titled, My Story (1976) at the age of 42. It was originally written in Malayalam and later translated to English. Some of her well known stories include Pakshiyude Manam (1964), Neypayasam (1991), Thanuppu (1968) and Chandana Marangal (2005). Among her novels, Neermathalam Pootha Kalam is well received by the readers. Some of her works in English are The Sirens (1964), Summer in Calcutta (1965), The Old Playhouse and Other Poems (1973), Alphabet of Lust (1977) and many others. Kamala Das has read her poetries at different places such as University of Duisburg-Essen at Germany, University of Bonn, University of Duisburg, University of Kingston, Jamaica, Singapore, Frankfurt Book Fair and South Bank Festival at London. Her works have been translated in different languages such as French, Spanish, Russian, German and Japanese. She was the Vice chairperson in Kerala Sahitya Academy, chairperson in Kerala forestry board, President of the Kerala Children’s Film Society.



Notable works

My Story (Ente Katha in Malayalam) was originally a series of columns published in the weekly Malayalanadu in 1973. It was written by the author as she lay recuperating at Bombay Hospital and looked back at incidents and milestones in her life. Written with raw candour, the book became a bestseller and was eventually translated into 15 international languages.









My Grandmother’s House



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THANK YOU ELSA ROSE JAMES 2ND SEMESTER BEd ENGLISH