Faiz, Ahmad Faiz (1911-84) Urdu poet who moved to Pakistan after Independence/Partition. His work has been described as ‘the high point of progressive literature in Urdu’.
Farid, Sheikh (1173-1265) Punjabi Sufi poet.
Fazli, Nida (b. 1938) Urdu poet, novelist, critic, translator, film lyricist.
Gadhvi, Pravin (b. 1951) Writes in Gujarati, an IAS official, Dalit poet.
Gandhi, Leela (b. 1966) Poet writing in English, academic.
Gangopadhyay, Sunil (b. 1934) Bangla poet, fiction writer, playwright, translator.
Ghalib, Mirza Asadullah Khan (1797-1869) Generally considered the greatest Urdu poet.
Ghose, Manmohan (1869-1924) Poet writing in English.
Gill, Gagan (b. 1959) Gave up being literary editor in various papers to be a full-time writer, essayist, translator. Lucy Rosenstein writes that Gill ‘focuses on the gamut of female experience’, but she also writes about pain as part of the human experience, death and occasionally on politics.
Gnanakoothan (b. 1938) Tamil poet and critic.
Gorakhpuri, Firaq (1896-1982) Best known as a poet of the classical ghazal in Urdu, though he was also an innovator who took Urdu poetry in new directions; taught English literature at Allahabad University. Also a freedom fighter.
Goswami, Joy (b. 1954) Bangla poet and journalist.
Harihara A Veerashaiva poet who wrote in Kannada, dominated the second half of the medieval period, and is said to have broken with tradition and written simple poems for the common man.
Harsha/Harshavardhan (590 CE-657 CE) One of the great kings of India. He became a Buddhist, a patron of literature. He wrote three plays in Sanskrit of which Ratnavali is one.
Hasan, Bilqees Zafirul (b. 1938) Urdu poet, short-story writer, playwright.
Hasan, Anjum (b. 1972) Writes poetry and fiction in English.
Honnalgere, Gopal (1942-2003) Wrote in English, taught art and writing in various schools.
Hoskote, Ranjit (b. 1969) Poet, critic and cultural theorist.
Husain, Shah ‘Madho Lal’ (1539-93) Wrote in Punjabi, described as an ‘ecstatic sufi who made few concessions to mainstream religion or society.’
Ibopishak, Thangjam (b. 1948) Manipuri writer, teaches Manipuri.
Akbar Ilahabadi (1846-1921) Urdu poet known for his satirical verse, district judge in Allahabad.
Iman, Akhtar-ul (1915-96) Urdu poet, Persian scholar, film director and scriptwriter, part of the Progressive Writers’ Movement.
Islam, Kazi Nazrul (1899-1976) Bangla poet, wrote politicized poems with a nationalist flavour addressed to the goddesses of Bengal, goddesses not named but their functions assumed by Mother India.
Iqbal, Mohammad (1873-1938) Wrote in Urdu and Persian and is regarded as one of the greatest Urdu poets, and one of the founding fathers of Pakistan.
Jabeen, Mahe (b. 1961) Telugu poet and social scientist.
Jafri, Ali Sardar (1912-2000) Urdu poet and short-story writer, editor, documentary film-maker, freedom fighter, radical activist, member of the Progressive Writers’ Movement.
Jayadeva (12 CE) Sanskrit poet, famous for his Gita Govinda which is an erotically charged series of songs about Krishna, Radha and the milkmaids.
Joshi, Umashankar (1911-88) Wrote poetry, fiction and plays in Gujarati; academic and vice-chancellor of the University of Gujarat.
Janabai (c. 1298-1350) Marathi Bhakti saint-poet.
Janna (1163 CE) Jain poet. Chief poet at the court of Hoysala King Veeraballala and a major classical Kannada poet. Called ‘Emperor among poets’ by the King.
Jayavallabha (c. 8 CE) Jain monk from the svetambara sect. Compiler of the Vajjalagam, a collection of independent verses in Prakrit.
Jha, Govindadas (1570-1640) Considered one of the three great writers in medieval Maithili.
Jnanadeva (1275-96) Marathi bhakti poet, considered the greatest saint of Maharashtra. At fifteen, he composed the Jnaneshwari, a commentary on the Bhagvad Gita. His sister Muktabai was also a saint-poet as were two of his brothers. They had a difficult childhood: their father who had renounced life at home later returned to married life. The Brahmin community to which they belonged ostracized the whole family.
Joseph, S. (b. 1965) Malayalam poet with four books of poems. He received the Kanaka Sree Award from the Kerala Sahitya Akademi.
Jussawalla, Adil (b. 1940) Writes in English, edited New Writing in India for Penguin UK in 1974, a major literary figure based in Mumbai and one of the founders of the poet’s publishing cooperative Clearing House.
Kabir (c. 1398-1448) Saint-poet; all information uncertain including attribution of some poems. Wrote in Bhojpuri, a dialect of Hindi; he was a Muslim weaver but his poems harmonize Ram and Rahim and are impatient with ritual.
Kalia, Mamta (b. 1940) Writes poetry in Hindi and in English, fiction in Hindi. Was principal of a women’s college in Allahabad.
Kalidasa (c. 5 CE-6 CE) Considered the greatest poet and dramatist in Sanskrit, his name virtually synonymous with literature. Academics like to call him the ‘Shakespeare of India’.
Kambar, Chandrashekhar (b. 1937) Kannada poet, playwright, novelist, folklorist, film director.
Kamble, Arun (b. 1953) Dalit poet writing in Marathi, one of the founder members of Dalit Panthers, teaches in the department of Marathi, Mumbai University.
Kampan (1180-1250) Tamil epic poet during the reign of the great Cholas, wrote the Ramayana which he called the Iramavataram; according to his translators the quality of his work and its influence earned him the title ‘Universal Monarch of Poets’.
Kanakadasa (1509-1609) Poet, philosopher, musician and social reformer writing in Kanada.
Kandasamy, Meena (b. 1984) Editor of The Dalit magazine for a year and translator, writes in English.
Kapilar Classical Tamil poet, a friend of his chieftain Pari who withstood the sieges of three powerful kings. After his death Kapilar wrote a lament; also found husbands for Pari’s daughters. Rough dates of the Ettuttokai anthologies in which he is represented are c. 300 BC-AD 200.
Karandikar, Vinda (b. 1918) Marathi poet, academic.
Karmakar, Jyotsna (b. 1950) Bangla poet and child development project officer.
Khair, Tabish (b. 1966) Poet and novelist writing in English and academic, teaches in Denmark.
Khatoon, Habba (16 CE) Kashmiri, broke away from mystic poetry, flourished in the court of Sultan Yusuf Shah.
Khilani, Lakhmi (b. 1935) Writes in Sindhi, short-story writer, translator, playwright.
Khusrau, Amir (1253-1325) Sufi poet, musician, scholar.
Kolatkar, Arun (1932-2004) wrote in Marathi and in English, graphic artist, founder member of the poets’ publishing cooperative Clearing House.
Komal, Balraj (b. 1928) One of the New Wave poets in Urdu prominent in the 1960s, critic, academic, short-story writer.
Ksetrayya (17 CE) Writer of devotional songs in Telugu in which he uses the persona of a courtesan.
Kurup, O.N.V. (b. 1931) A prolific poet who has published over twenty- three volumes of poetry in a variety of styles in Malayalam. Known particularly for his social-concern poems.
Kanaka, Ha. Ma. (b. 1964) Writes in Kannada, theatre actor, journalist, translator.
Latif, Shah Abdul (1689-1752) Major Sindhi mystic poet.
Madarasa, Sakalesha (12 CE) Kannada saint-poet whose poems, like those of Basavanna, Devara Dasimayya, Mahadeviyakka, Allama Prabhu and others are called vacanas. Vacanas are bhakti poems. All these poets reject ritual, attempts to manipulate God, polytheism, animal sacrifice and caste distinctions. For them, as A.K. Ramanujan observes, ‘All true experience of god is krpa, grace that cannot be called, recalled or commanded.’
Madeshwara (15 CE) Veerashaiva saint, Kannada composer of oral epics. One of the special qualities of the epic chosen is that there is real concern about the plight of women and the ordeals they have to undergo. This is said to be characteristic of Kannada folk epics. In the extract chosen, Sankamma is a strong character who
refuses to swear an oath of fidelity to her husband as she considers it demeaning.
Mahadeviyakka (12 CE) Kannada saint poet; said to have died in her twenties.
Mahapatra, Anuradha (b. 1957) Bangla poet and social activist, works with Uprooted Tillers’ Rights Association, teaches street children.
Mahapatra, Jayanta (b. 1928) Writes in English; Oriya academic, translator, editor.
Mahapatra, Sitakant (b. 1937) Writes in Oriya. Specialist in tribal literature, particularly that of the Santhals.
Majumdar, Harinath (1833-96) journalist, composer of Baul hymns, wrote prose narratives in Bangla.
Male Madeshwara (c. 14 CE) Narrates the story of Madeshwara, a young Veerashaiva saint. He was a historical figure who probably lived in the fourteenth century.
Malik, Keshav (b. 1924) Writes in English, art critic, curator.
Mansuri, Adil (b. 1936) Gujarati poet, journalist.
Mardhekar, Bal Sitaram (1909-56) Pioneer of modernism in Marathi poetry, also wrote fiction.
Mathur, Shakunt (b. 1920) Regarded as the forerunner of feminism in Hindi poetry.
Mehrotra, Arvind Krishna (b. 1947) Poet, editor, translator, academic, critic, founder member of the poets’ publishing cooperative Clearing House.
Mehta, Jaya (b. 1932) Writes in Gujarati, academic, editor, translator, literary critic.
Mehta, Narsinh (1408-80) Bhakti poet, regarded as father of Gujarati poetry.
Menon, Siddhartha (b. 1967) Teaches at Rishi Valley School in Andhra Pradesh.
Mirabai (1498-1546) Rajasthani princess who scandalized Rajasthan by singing and dancing in public in her choice of vocation as saint-poet.
Mir Taqi Mir (1722-1810) One of the most important poets of the eighteenth century, noted for his melancholy, a formative influence in Urdu, known for his ghazals. Ghalib wrote more than one couplet in praise of him.
Miranda, Fr. Joaquim Born in Goa. Dates not known but his most celebrated poem ‘Riglo Jesu Molleantu’ (Jesus Entered the Garden) was written in Konkani between 1763-83.
Mitra, Debarati (b. 1946) Bangla poet and lecturer at Jadhavpur University.
Mohamad, Sheikh (16 CE) Wrote Marathi hymns in praise of Lord Krishna.
Mohiuddin, Khadar (b. 1955) Writes in Telugu; represented here by a section of his best-known poem, ‘Birthmark, about the bitter experience of being a Muslim in India, but he participates in Ugadi Sammelans, Telugu New Year poetry readings which now include poems by women and by Dalits, Hindus and Muslims.
Moraes, Dom (1938-2004) Wrote poetry and non-fiction in English. His first book of poems, written at nineteen, won him the Hawthornden Prize.
Mukerji, Dhan Gopal (1890-1937) Wrote poetry and non-fiction in English, and was one of the early ‘translators’ of Indian culture in the US.
Muktabai (13 CE) Bhakti poet, wrote in Marathi, sister of Jnanadeva.
Muktibodh, Gajanan Madhav (1917-69) Hindi poet considered a bridge between the Progressive movement and New Poetry movement, also called the modern movement. Wrote fiction, criticism journalism, was also a broadcaster and teacher.
Nagra, Daljit (b. 1966) Lives in the UK. Won the Forward Prize both for his first poem and his first book, Look We Have Coming to Dover, published by Faber and Faber in 2007. Continues to teach English in schools much to the amazement of his students.
Naidu, Sarojini (1879-1949) Poet in English and political activist.
Nair, Rukmini Bhaya (b. 1952) Poet writing in English, academic.
Nambiar, Kunchan (1700-70) Malayalam poet, belonged to a sub-sect specializing in temple art forms such as the ‘Kothu’ described as a dramatic narration, a mix of puranic mythology and contemporary satire.
Nambisan, Vijay (b. 1963) Writes poetry and non-fiction in English, translator.
Nambudiri, Punam (c. 16 CE) Wrote in Malayalam. The Nambudiris, who were Brahmins, are said to have introduced Sanskrit into the local language.
Namdev (1220-1350) Bhakti saint-poet in Marathi, travelled widely in India to spread the idea of bhakti.
Nammalvar (9 CE) Tamil poet, most important of the twelve alvars dedicated to Vishnu, and among the earliest bhakti poets.
Nanak, Guru (1469-1539) Founder of Sikhism, saint-poet.
Nanmullai, Allur (c. 1 CE-2 CE) Classical Tamil poet.
Nara (b. 1932) Pen name of Velcheru Narayana Rao, scholar and translator of several Telugu texts, academic.
Narain, Kunwar (b. 1927) Writes in Hindi and his work has been described as deeply humanist. He is also a short-story writer, editor, translator, and is involved in music and theatre.
Narayana (12 CE) Sanskrit poet; wrote Hitopadesa, one of the most popular versions of the Panchatantra stories.
Ngangom, Robin (b. 1959) Writes in English and in Manipuri.
Nirala (Suryakant Tripathi) (1899-1961) A leading member of various movements in Hindi poetry. Poet, novelist, essayist.
Nongkynrih, Kynpham Sing (b. 1964) Writes poems and fiction in both Khasi and English. His poems have been translated into several languages including Welsh and Swedish. He received the first North-East Poetry Award in 2004 from North-East India Poetry Council, Tripura.
Nur Jehan, Empress (1577-1645) Favourite wife of Emperor Jehangir.
Padgaonkar, Mangesh (b. 1929) Marathi poet, essayist, academic, editor.
Pakalikkuttar (dates uncertain, possibly born mid-14 CE and died sometimes in the first quarter of the 15 CE) It is said that the Tamil devotional form, the pillaittamil, began to flourish with his compositions.
Pande, Mrinal (b. 1946) Writes fiction and plays in Hindi.
Pandit, R.V. (1917-90) Wrote in Konkani was involved in the Goa Liberation Movement.
Pandya, Natwarlal ‘Ushnas’ (1920-2011) Gujarati poet and one-time principal of Arts College, Valsad, literary critic and essayist.
Paniker, K. Ayyappa (b. 1930) Malayalam poet, critic, academic, translator.
Parikh, Vipin (b. 1930) Writes poems and essays in Gujarati.
Parthasarthy, R. (b. 1934) Writes in English and Tamil. Editor, translator, academic.
Pash (1950-88) Best-known of the left and progressive poets, opposed Sikh nationalist violence, shot dead by a Khalistani militant. Edited a literary magazine called Siarh.
Patel, Gieve (b. 1940) Poet, painter, playwright, translator, doctor of medicine. Founder member of poets’ publishing cooperative Clearing House.
Patel, Ravji (1939-68) Gujarati novelist, short-story writer, poet.
Patil, Chandrashekara (b. 1939) Poet and playwright in Kannada, academic.
Periyalvar/Periyazhwar/Vishnuchittan (9 CE) Tamil poet wrote poems in praise of Krishna’s pranks as a child, inspired the pillaittamil verse form in which the poet adopts the voice of a mother and god is worshipped as an extraordinary child.
Perunkatunko, Palai Patita Classical Tamil poet dates uncertain, anywhere from c. 300 BCE to 200 CE.
Phookan/Phukan, Nilmani (b. 1933) Assamiya poet, academic, translator. Considered one of Assam’s most important poets.
Pinto, Jerry (b. 1966) Writes in English, journalist, and editor of several anthologies; recently published his much-acclaimed first novel.
Prabhu, Allama (c. 12 CE) Kannada saint-poet. As with other Veerasaiva saints he rejected external ritual. Other well-known saints such as Basavanna and others regarded him as the Master.
Prasad, G. J. V. (b. 1955) Poet, novelist and critic. Won the Katha Award for his translations from Tamil into English.
Pritam, Amrita (1919-2005) First prominent Punjabi woman poet, novelist and short-story writer.
Purandara Dasa (1485-1565) Kannada saint-poet. William J. Jackson tells us that ‘Purandaradasa was in the prime of his life during the heyday of the Vijayanagar empire.’ The fall of this empire in 1565 ‘led to many problems in society, and some of Purandaradasa’s songs reflect the loss and bewilderment of a turbulent land crying out for help’.
Ramaiya, Nita (b. 1941) Academic, writes in Gujarati.
Ramakrishnan, Kadammanitta (b. 1935) M
alayalam poet and translator, described as a ‘progressive modernist.’
Ramanujan, A. K. (1929-93) Wrote in English and Kannada. Significant poet, translator, folklorist, philologist; taught at the University of Chicago.
Rasananda (17 CE) Oriya saint-poet.
Rath, Ramakanta (b. 1934) Oriya poet and civil servant; President of the Sahitya Akademi from 1998-2002. J.M. Mohanty writes, ‘Rath provided a deep troubled voice to modern Oriya poetry, troubled because of its intense awareness of futility’.
Rath, Baladev (1789-1845) One of the major Oriya Vaishnav poets dedicated to Krishna, particularly known for his champu poems which are arranged alphabetically, using Oriya consonants from ka to ksha. These poems are used both as song and dance. Said to be the only Oriya poet to use Persian words.
Ravidas (c. 14 CE-15 CE) Contemporary of Guru Nanak. A saint-poet who felt that God redeemed ‘even tanners of hides’—a reference to the family trade. Some of his poems are included in the Adi Granth, the Sikh scripture.
Rayaprol, Srinivas (1925-98) Wrote in English, founded and edited the journal East and West from 1956-61.
Revathi, Kutti (b. 1974) Writes in Tamil, working on a doctorate in medical anthropology.
Rituraj (b. 1940) Writes in Hindi; teaches.
Rodrigues, Santan (1948-2008) Poet in English, founder of eight Kan, a poetry magazine in the 1970s, founder member of New Grand poets’ cooperative.
Sarosh, Minal (b. 1960) Mitosis and Other Poems was published by Writers Workshop, Kolkata, 1992.
Sachdev, Padma (b. 1940) Dogri poet, prose writer, broadcaster.
Sahay, Raghuvir (1929-90) Hindi poet, journalist, translator, essayist, fiction writer.
Salabega (b. 16 CE) A Muslim, he was devoted to Lord Jaganath to whom he addressed his hymns which are widely popular in Orissa and influential in Oriya literature.
Sami (1743-1850) Sindhi religious poet, interpreted Vedantic thought in his work.
Sankaracarya (c. 8 CE-9 CE) Considered the greatest philosopher India has produced. Wrote devotional hymns in Sanskrit.
Sant, Indira (1914-2000) Wrote fiction and poetry in Marathi, considered one of the most intense lyrical voices in Marathi.
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