Dr.
Kamala Das is internationally renowned for
her poems in Indian English. Poet, Short Story Writer
and Novelist, she is the pioneer of feminist writing
in Malayalam literature. She captured the fascination
of Malayalam literary world with 'Ente Katha', a story
said to posses autobiographical elements.
She writes in Malayalam under the pen name, Madhavikutty.
Her stories first appeared on the Malayalam literary scene in
the 50's and later more frequently, in the sixties.
She was born in 1932 at Punnayoorkulam. Her father, VM Nair, was
the former Managing Editor of International Monetary Fund and
her mother is Nalappat Balamani Amma.
One of the most influential feminist writers of our times, her
language exhibits liveliness and imaginative suggestions. A constant
companion of controversies, she recently converted herself to
Islam faith. And she is now known as Dr. Kamala Suraiyya. Like
the themes of her stories, the conversion too kicked up much heat
and dust in the social and literary circles.
Recently she established a political party of her own named Lok
Seva Charitable Trust, to concentrate on humanitarian work as
well as to provide asylum to orphaned mothers and to promote secularism.
