Nirupama Dutt
Encyclopedia
Nirupama Dutt is an India
n writer. Noted for a passionate personal style, she writes poems in Punjabi
, and sometimes transcreates them in English.
Born in 1955, she is an established presence in the field of Punjabi poetry
and short fiction
. A senior journalist with thirty years of experience, she has worked with leading Indian newspapers and journals. She has published one volume of poems – Ik Nadi Sanwali Jahi (A Stream Somewhat Dark) – for which she was awarded the Delhi Punjabi Akademi Award in 2000. Her poetry has been translated into English, Hindi
, Kannada, Bengali
and Urdu
and featured in various anthologies. In 2004, she co-edited with Ajeet Cour an anthology of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) poetry entitled Our Voices.
A seasoned translator of poetry and fiction, she has translated and edited a book of fiction by Pakistani women writers called Half the Sky and one of resistance literature of Pakistan
called 'Children of the Night'.
As a journalist, Dutt has established her credentials as a strong secularist, having taken stands against fundamentalism
and communalism
, on issues ranging from terrorism
in Punjab, the November 1984 massacre of the Sikhs, the Babri Masjid demolition and the Gujarat carnage. She believes a similar spirit of courage and commitment permeates her creative writing as well, and views herself as heir to a tradition of fiercely independent female voices in Punjabi letters. “Successor of Manjit (Tiwana), daughter of Amrita (Pritam)” is how she describes herself. Nirupama's poetry has been featured on the Poetry Web International. Amrita was a senior and celebrated poet of Punjabi and Manjit is a poet-friend of Nirupama, senior to her by a few years.
She is convener of a women's study group called Hamshira. At present she is an independent editor, writer and translator. She lives and writes in Chandigarh
and Gurgaon
.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n writer. Noted for a passionate personal style, she writes poems in Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
, and sometimes transcreates them in English.
Born in 1955, she is an established presence in the field of Punjabi poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
and short fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
. A senior journalist with thirty years of experience, she has worked with leading Indian newspapers and journals. She has published one volume of poems – Ik Nadi Sanwali Jahi (A Stream Somewhat Dark) – for which she was awarded the Delhi Punjabi Akademi Award in 2000. Her poetry has been translated into English, Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, Kannada, Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
and Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
and featured in various anthologies. In 2004, she co-edited with Ajeet Cour an anthology of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) poetry entitled Our Voices.
A seasoned translator of poetry and fiction, she has translated and edited a book of fiction by Pakistani women writers called Half the Sky and one of resistance literature of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
called 'Children of the Night'.
As a journalist, Dutt has established her credentials as a strong secularist, having taken stands against fundamentalism
Islamic fundamentalism
Islamic fundamentalism is a term used to describe religious ideologies seen as advocating a return to the "fundamentals" of Islam: the Quran and the Sunnah. Definitions of the term vary. According to Christine L...
and communalism
Communalism
Communalism is a term with three distinct meanings according to the Random House Unabridged Dictionary'.'These include "a theory of government or a system of government in which independent communes participate in a federation". "the principles and practice of communal ownership"...
, on issues ranging from terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
in Punjab, the November 1984 massacre of the Sikhs, the Babri Masjid demolition and the Gujarat carnage. She believes a similar spirit of courage and commitment permeates her creative writing as well, and views herself as heir to a tradition of fiercely independent female voices in Punjabi letters. “Successor of Manjit (Tiwana), daughter of Amrita (Pritam)” is how she describes herself. Nirupama's poetry has been featured on the Poetry Web International. Amrita was a senior and celebrated poet of Punjabi and Manjit is a poet-friend of Nirupama, senior to her by a few years.
She is convener of a women's study group called Hamshira. At present she is an independent editor, writer and translator. She lives and writes in Chandigarh
Chandigarh
Chandigarh is a union territory of India that serves as the capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab. The name Chandigarh translates as "The Fort of Chandi". The name is from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu goddess Chandi, in the city...
and Gurgaon
Gurgaon
Gurgaon is the second largest city in the Indian state of Haryana. Gurgaon is the industrial and financial center of Haryana. It is located 30 km south of national capital New Delhi, about 10 kilometers from Dwarka Sub City and 268 km south of Chandigarh, the state capital...
.