Born
on March 31, 1934 in Malabar in Kerala, India, she has been
Madhavikutty to Malayalee readers and Kamala Das to her English
fans. Daughter of the late V.M. Nair, former managing editor
of widely-circulated Malayalam daily Mathrubhumi and renowned
poetess Nalappat Balamani Amma, she embraced Islam and turned
Kamala Suraiya.
Like
her parents, Kamala Das also excelled in writing. However,
she did not start writing professionally till she was married
and became a mother. Her love of poetry began at an early
age through the influence of her great uncle, Nalapat Narayan
Menon, a prominent writer.
Das
was also deeply affected by the poetry of her mother, Nalapat
Balamani Amma, and the sacred writings kept by the matriarchal
community of Nayars. She was privately educated until the
age of 15 when she was married to K. Madhava Das . She was
16 when her first son was born and says that she "was
mature enough to be a mother only when my third child was
born" . Her husband often played a fatherly role for
both Das and her sons. Because of the great age difference
between Kamala and her husband, he often encouraged her to
associate with people of her own age. Das says that he was
always "very understanding"
As
her career progressed, her greatest supporter was always her
husband. Even when controversy swirled around Das' sexually
charged poetry and her unabashed autobiography, My Story,
Das' husband was "very proud" of her . Though he
was sick for 3 years before he passed away, his presence brought
her tremendous joy and comfort. She stated that there "shall
not be another person so proud of me and my achievements"
.
Das
has dabbled in painting, fiction, and even politics . Though
Das failed to win a place in Parliament in 1984.
She
is famous for her many Malayalam short stories as well as
several poems written in English. This Keralite is recognized
as one of the foremost poetesses of India. She is also a syndicated
columnist. She has moved away from poetry because she claims
that "poetry does not sell in this country [India],"
but fortunately her forthright columns do . Das' columns sound
off on everything from women's issues and child care to politics.
Religion
and politics
In
1999, she converted from Hinduism to Islam and changed her
name to Kamala Suraiya. Like the themes of her stories, the
conversion too kicked up much heat and dust in the social
and literary circles.
She
is also active in politics in India, and has launched a national
political party known as the Lok Seva Party, to concentrate
on humanitarian work as well as to provide asylum to orphaned
mothers and to promote secularism. In 1984, she was short-listed
for the Nobel Prize for Literature along with Marguerite Yourcenar,
Doris Lessing and Nadine Gordimer.
When
the government decided to give the prestigious Ezhuthachan
award to her considering her overall contribution to literature,
the Sangh Parivar criticised the decision, saying that Surayya
had nothing in common with the poet in whose name the award
was instituted.
Publications
Over the past four decades, Kamala Das has published
many novels and short stories in English, as well as in the
Indian language of Malayalam under the name Madhavikutty.
Works/Awards
1964:
The Sirens (Asian Poetry Prize winner)
1964: Pakshiyude Manam (short stories)
1965: Summer in Calcutta (poetry; Kent's Award winner)
1966: Naricheerukal Parakkumbol (short stories)
1967: The Descendants (poetry)
1973: The Old Playhouse and Other Poems (poetry)
1976: My Story (autobiography)
1977: Alphabet of Lust (novel)
1985: The Anamalai Poems (poetry)
1987: Balyakala Smaranakal (Childhood Memories)
1989: Varshangalkku Mumbu (Years Before)
1990: Palayan (novel)
1991: Neypayasam (short story)
1992: Dayarikkurippukal (novel)
1992: Padmavati the Harlot and Other Stories (collection of
short stories)
1994: Neermathalam Pootha Kalam (novel;
Vayalar Award winner)
1996: Only the Soul Knows How to Sing (poetry)
1996: Chekkerunna Pakshikal (short stories)
1998: Nashtapetta Neelambari (short stories)
2001: yaa Allah (collection of poems)published by [IPH]
 
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