(Hons) in English and then finished an M.

Devi studied at the Rabindranath Tagore-founded Visva-Bharati University and Calcutta University. Her mother was also a writer and a social worker.

Her father was an eminent poet and novelist of the Kallol movement. Devi was born in Dacca (now Dhaka, in present-day Bangladesh) to Manish Ghatak and Dharitri Devi. Mahasweta Devi belonged to a very culturally affluent family where free-thinking and creativity flowed freely in the veins of its members. So, what were her beliefs, her upbringing, her activism, and her experiences that have majorly shaped her writing? Let us dive into that, shall we? What shaped and impacted Mahasweta Devi's Literary Pieces? In her magnificent life that spanned 90 years, Devi had secured a lot of jewels in her crown including the Sahitya Akademi award (1979), the Padma Shree (1986), the Jnanpith (1997), the Magsaysay award (1997), and the Deshikottam award in 1999. Her characters had strong voices of their own who shaped their thoughts and opinions and didn’t rely on the depressing circumstances.Īwards & Recognitions Mahasweta Devi Earned and Won: Rather it ignited the fire to fight against what is wrong and uphold the truth. None of her stories on marginalized sections of society and other social issues, leave its readers feeling sympathetic or pitiful. But something was in her that starkly set her different from all her contemporaries and that is her boldness and honesty. We have had many writers in our glorious past who showcased their activism and views through their writings, and Mahasweta Devi was one among them. Mahasweta Devi undoubtedly remains a relevant and most sought-after author in the world of translated literature. In case you have read my article: 28 Must-Read Books in 2021 by Indian Women in Translations then you should probably remember that I had mentioned a handful of books by Mahasweta Devi and urged my readers to pick up her books and see the shadowed part of the society through her quill. On this auspicious day of 14th January, in the year 1926, the world was blessed with the advent of the literary phenomenon called Mahasweta Devi.

The Why Why Girl by Mahasweta Devi