Ananda Puraskar
1 appearances
-
Edition 61 (2006) Winner
Utpal Kumar Basu
ウトパル・クマール・バス
Utpal Kumar Basu
Pen Names:
Deys（Pen-name used for humorous critical sketches aired on Kolkata Doordarshan in the 1990s）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1939-08-03 （Bhawanipore, Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India）
- Died
- 2015-10-03 （Kolkata, West Bengal, India） age 76
- Nationality
- India
- Languages
- Bengali, English
- Residence History
- Baharampur (Murshidabad district) → Dinhata (Cooch Behar district) → London, United Kingdom → Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Career
- Occupations
- Poet, Writer, Storyteller, Educationist, Translator, Literary critic
- Active Years
- 1956-2015
- Affiliations
- Ashutosh College (lecturer), University Grants Commission (project officer), Chitrabani (involved in planning programmes and mass communication teaching), St. Xavier's College (Mass Communication)
- Influenced By
- Allen Ginsberg, Hungry generation movement
- Influenced
- Younger Bengali poets (little magazine movement)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottish Church College | — | — | — | — | India |
| Presidency College (University of Calcutta) | Faculty of Science | Department of Geology | Master's (Geology) | — | India |
Scottish Church College
Country:
India
Began writing here and became associated with the Krittibas group of young Bengali poets
Presidency College (University of Calcutta)
Faculty of Science
/ Department of Geology
Degree:
Master's (Geology)
Country:
India
After obtaining a master's in geology, he served as a lecturer at Ashutosh College
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Ananda Puraskar | Sukh Dukhher Sathi | — | ABP group | 受賞 |
| 2011 | Rabindra Puraskar | Sukh Duhkher Sathi | — | Paschim Banga Bangla Academy | 受賞 |
| 2014 | Sahitya Akademi Award | Piya Mana Bhabe (poetry collection) | — | Sahitya Akademi | 受賞 |
| 2018 | Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize | Bengali translation of Kamala Das's 'Only The Soul Knows How To Sing' (posthumous) | — | Sahitya Akademi | 受賞（事後） |
Ananda Puraskar
2006
Work:
Sukh Dukhher Sathi
Organization:
ABP group
Result:
受賞
Rabindra Puraskar
2011
Work:
Sukh Duhkher Sathi
Organization:
Paschim Banga Bangla Academy
Result:
受賞
Sahitya Akademi Award
2014
Work:
Piya Mana Bhabe (poetry collection)
Organization:
Sahitya Akademi
Result:
受賞
Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize
2018
Work:
Bengali translation of Kamala Das's 'Only The Soul Knows How To Sing' (posthumous)
Organization:
Sahitya Akademi
Result:
受賞（事後）
Awards & Nominations
Sahitya Akademi Award to Bengali Writers
1 appearances
-
Edition 57 (2014) Winner
Works
Major Works
Chaitrye Rochito Kobita
1956 PoetryFirst collection of poems that introduced his unique diction and formal experiments; marked his emergence among young Bengali poets.
MysticismObjective observationEveryday motifs
Puri Series
1964 Poetry (travel poems)A brief series of travel poems noted for innovative diction; had a significant impact on contemporary Bengali poetry.
TravelSense of placeLandscape description
Abar Puri Series
1978 Poetry (travel poems)A follow-up to the Puri Series, continuing exploration of concise forms and language possibilities.
TravelMemoryObservation
Narokhadok
1970 Short storiesA collection of short stories exploring social conditions and nuances of human character.
Social critiqueCharacter study
Piya Mana Bhabe
2014 PoetryA late-career poetry collection characterized by mature, concise language describing human emotions; won the Sahitya Akademi Award.
MaturityIntrospectionHuman relationships
Bibliography
- Chaitrye Rochito Kobita
- Puri Series
- Narokhadok
- Abar Puri Series
- Lochondas Karigar
- Khandobaichitrer Din
- Srestho Kobita
- Dhusar Atagach
- Salma Jorir Kaaj
- Kahabotir Nach
- Night School
- Tusu Amar Chintamoni
- Meenyuddha
- Bokshigunje Padmapare
- Annadata Joseph
- Sukh Duhkher Sathi
- Piya Mana Bhabe
- Bela Egarotar Rod
- Baba Bhoy Korche
Translations by Author
- Translation of Kamala Das's poetry collection into Bengali
- Translation of works by Ayyappa Pannicker
- Edited translation of a collection of Mizo poems and songs for Sahitya Akademi
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Concise, objective-observational styleIncorporates mystic elements while avoiding overt sentimentalismExperimental diction and formal exploration
- Recurring Motifs
- TravelEveryday objectsUrban landscapesMemory
Health
-
Prolonged illness (details unspecified)晩年（死去前）Led to reduced activity in later years and ultimately his death
Legacy
Utpal Kumar Basu is regarded as an important pioneer of modern Bengali poetry. His travel poems and experimental diction greatly influenced subsequent poets, inspiring the little magazine movement and younger writers. He received multiple major awards and holds an important place in Bengali literature.
Academic Societies
- Sahitya Akademi (award body)
Quotes
-
"The evolution of form has to be rapid and continuous, whereas the concept evolves slowly, maybe once in a century." (from Dhusar Atagach)
Source: Dhusar Atagach (collection) (1994)
Trivia
- Met American poet Allen Ginsberg in Kolkata in the early 1960s and remained friends.
- Spent about 14 years (1964–77) in London and associated with various socialist organisations.
- His wife Santana was an English lecturer and died in November 2018 after a brief illness.
- His son Firoze is an assistant professor of English at MCKV Institute of Engineering, Howrah.
- Won the Ananda Puraskar (2006), Rabindra Puraskar (2011) and Sahitya Akademi Award (2014).
- Posthumously received the Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize in 2018 for his translation of Kamala Das.