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Sarat Kumar Mukhopadhyay

サラト・クマール・ムクホパーディヤ

Sarat Kumar Mukhopadhyay

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1931-08-15 （Puri, Bihar and Orissa Province, British India）
Died
2021-12-21 （Kolkata, West Bengal, India） age 90
Nationality
Indian
Languages
Bengali, English
Residence History
Puri (birthplace) → Kolkata (long-term residence) → Glasgow (studies/training)

Career

Occupations
Poet, Novelist, Translator, Writer, Chartered Accountant
Active Years
1957-2021
Influenced By
Poets of the Krittibas magazine circle, Sunil Gangopadhyay (contemporary poet), Shakti Chattopadhyay (contemporary poet)

Education

University of Calcutta
Country: India
Institute of Chartered Accountants of India
Degree: Chartered Accountant
Country: India
Obtained Chartered Accountant qualification
Institute of Company Secretaries of India
Degree: Company Secretary
Country: India
Obtained Company Secretary qualification
British Institute of Management, Glasgow
Degree: Management studies
Country: United Kingdom
Studied management in Glasgow

Awards

Sahitya Akademi Award
2008
Work: Ghumer Borir Moto Chand
Organization: Sahitya Akademi
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Sonar Harin (The Golden Deer)

1957 Poetry collection

Early poetry collection. Characterized by post-modernist tone with rich metaphor and symbolism.

naturememoryurban life

Sahabas

Novel

A novel published in the magazine Desh. Caused controversy at the time for its subject matter involving wife-swapping.

human relationshipsmoralitysocial norms

Ghumer Borir Moto Chand

Poetry collection

One of his later poetry collections. Highly regarded and recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award.

lonelinessdreamsnight

The Cat Under the Stairs (selected poems, translated by Robert McNamara)

1988 Poetry anthology (English translation)

An anthology of his poems translated into English by Robert McNamara, introducing his work to English-speaking readers.

cross-cultural translationuniversality of poetry
Translations
  • The Cat Under the Stairs (translated into English by Robert McNamara)

Bibliography

  • Sonar Harin (The Golden Deer)
  • Sahabas
  • Ghumer Borir Moto Chand
  • The Cat Under the Stairs (English translation)

Translations of Works

  • The Cat Under the Stairs — English translation of selected poems by Robert McNamara

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Post-modernist poetryRich use of metaphor and symbolismConcise, condensed language
Recurring Motifs
nighturban lifememory and dreams

Health

  • Cardiac arrest
    2021-12-21
    Cause of death on the early hours of 21 December 2021

Legacy

An important post-modernist poet in Bengali literature. Associated with the Krittibas magazine generation, he influenced a wide literary audience through poetry, novels and translations. He was recognized with the Sahitya Akademi Award.

Academic Societies

  • Sahitya Akademi (related as awarding body)

Archives

  • Sarat Kumar Mukhopadhyay archives at Katha Books (reference)

In Popular Culture

  • Frequently referenced in discussions and retrospectives of Bengali literature

Trivia

  • He was both a poet/author and a qualified Chartered Accountant (ICAI) and Company Secretary (ICSI).
  • His first poetry collection Sonar Harin was published in 1957.
  • The novel Sahabas caused controversy when serialized because of its theme involving wife-swapping.
  • He received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2008 for Ghumer Borir Moto Chand.
  • An English anthology of his poems, The Cat Under the Stairs, translated by Robert McNamara, introduced his work to English readers.