Sahitya Akademi Award to Bengali Writers
1 appearances
-
Edition 10 (1965) Winner
Bishnu Dey
ビシュヌ・デイ
Bishnu Dey
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1909-07-18 （Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India）
- Died
- 1982-12-03 （Calcutta, West Bengal, India） age 73
- Nationality
- India
- Languages
- Bengali, English
- Residence History
- Calcutta (birthplace and primary residence) → Rikhia (Santhal Parganas; later residence)
Career
- Occupations
- Poet, Academician, Essayist, Translator, Art appreciator/critic
- Active Years
- 1928-1982
- Memberships
- Anti-Fascist Writers' and Artists' Association
- Influenced By
- T. S. Eliot, Rabindranath Tagore, Marxist philosophy
- Influenced
- Samar Sen (poet) and subsequent generations of Bengali poets, Numerous poets who shaped modern Bengali poetry
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitra Institution | — | — | — | 〜1927 | India |
| Sanskrit Collegiate School | — | — | — | 〜1927 | India |
| Bangabasi College | — | — | Intermediate | 〜1930 | India |
| St. Paul's Cathedral Mission College | English | Also majored in Philosophy and History | Bachelor | 1930-1932 | India |
| University of Calcutta | English | — | Master | 〜1934 | India |
Mitra Institution
Period:
〜1927
Year of Graduation:
1927
Country:
India
Started schooling here
Sanskrit Collegiate School
Period:
〜1927
Year of Graduation:
1927
Country:
India
Completed schooling in 1927
Bangabasi College
Degree:
Intermediate
Period:
〜1930
Year of Graduation:
1930
Country:
India
Received intermediate degree in 1930
St. Paul's Cathedral Mission College
English
/ Also majored in Philosophy and History
Degree:
Bachelor
Period:
1930-1932
Year of Graduation:
1932
Country:
India
BA in English; deeply engaged with Western classical music and Marxist thought during this period
University of Calcutta
English
Degree:
Master
Period:
〜1934
Year of Graduation:
1934
Country:
India
Received MA in 1934; married the same year
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Sahitya Akademi Award | Smriti Satta Bhabishyat (Memory, the Being, the Future) | — | Sahitya Akademi | 受賞 |
| 1971 | Jnanpith Award | For overall contribution to Indian literature | — | Jnanpith | 受賞 |
| — | Soviet Land Award | Rushoti Panchashati | — | Soviet Land | 受賞 |
Sahitya Akademi Award
1965
Work:
Smriti Satta Bhabishyat (Memory, the Being, the Future)
Organization:
Sahitya Akademi
Result:
受賞
Jnanpith Award
1971
Work:
For overall contribution to Indian literature
Organization:
Jnanpith
Result:
受賞
Soviet Land Award
Work:
Rushoti Panchashati
Organization:
Soviet Land
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Jnanpith Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 7 (1971) Winner
Works
Major Works
Smriti Satta Bhabishyat (Memory, the Being, the Future)
1963 Poetry collectionA major poetry collection exploring memory, being, and the future; addresses personal and historical suffering and renewal.
memorybeinghistorysocial sufferingmusic and art
Translations
- English translations (selected poems and collections)
- Translations into Hindi and Kannada
Urboshi O Artemis
1933 PoetryOne of his early poetry collections, showing youthful sensibilities and modernist influences.
youthinfluence of Western literaturemythic motifs
Anwishta
1950 PoetryCollection of poems started in 1946, reflecting wartime and postwar social conditions and personal experiences.
war and societypersonal recollection
Bibliography
- Urboshi O Artemis (1933)
- Chorabaali (1937)
- Purbolekh (1941)
- Anwishta (1950)
- Smriti Satta Bhabishyat (1963)
- Many other poetry collections, essays and translations (see major publications list)
Adaptations
- Documentary (2011, directed by Debabrata Roy)
Translations by Author
- Translations of T. S. Eliot's poems (multiple publications in 1953, 1960, 1969)
- Translation of 'Le Silence de la mer' into Bengali (Samudrer Mouno, 1946)
Translations of Works
- Collections and selected poems translated into English, Hindi, Kannada
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Modernist poetic formsSymbolic and intellectual dictionFrequent references to Western classical music, mythology and visual arts
- Recurring Motifs
- memoryhistory and timemusicsuffering and renewal
Health
-
晩年（詳細不明）Suffered a prolonged illness in later years which affected his life and work; died in Calcutta after extended illness
Legacy
Bishnu Dey was a leading figure of modern Bengali poetry, celebrated for formal innovation, exploration of history and memory, and deep engagement with music and visual arts. He received major awards including the Sahitya Akademi (1965) and the Jnanpith (1971), leaving a lasting impact on Bengali literature.
Academic Societies
- Communities associated with Sahitya Akademi (via award recognition)
In Popular Culture
- 2011 documentary on Bishnu Dey
- Iconic presence in Kolkata's literary 'adda' culture
Quotes
-
"An internationalist, Bishnu Dey never went abroad ... his knowledge of the world was enviable." (Samar Sen, quoted in the documentary)
Source: Quotation from the 2011 documentary by Debabrata Roy (2011)
Trivia
- Declined numerous invitations abroad and never travelled overseas throughout his life.
- His home at 1/10 Prince Golam Mhd. Road was a longtime hub of Kolkata's cultural 'adda' gatherings.