Recognized as one of India's foremost poets, Kamala Das was born on March 31, 1934 in Malabar in Kerala (Dwivedi 297), whose works in English and Malayalam commanded a wide readership, died at a hospital in Pune in the wee hours on Sunday.
She was 75 and had been keeping indifferent health for quite some time.
Her works include the famous memoirs "My story", which has been translated into several Indian languages.
Kamala penned poems and short stories with equal ease. In Malayalam, she wrote scores of short stories using the pen name Madhavikutty.
Daughter of Management expert V M Nair and renowned poet Balamaniyamma, Kamala was born in the Nalappad family in Punnayurkkulam in Thrissur district. Her husband Madavdas, an RBI official, predeceased her.
She is survived by two sons, including well-known journalist M D Nalappad.
Kamala Das has in her ongoing career as a poet, received umpteen awards for her literary contribution.
| Asian Poetry Prize | Asian World Prize | Sahitya Academy Award | Kerala Sahitya Academy Award |
| Kent Award for English Writing from Asian Countries | Ezhuthachan Award | Vayalar Award |
Kamala Das has travelled extensively to recite poetry to Germany`s Essen, Bonn and Duisburg Universities, Adelaide Writer`s Festival (Adelaide, Australia), Frankfurt Book Fair, University of Kingston, Jamaica, Singapore and South Bank Festival (London), Concordia University (Montreal, Canada), Columbia University (New York), Qatar, Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi. etc. Her works are printed also in French, Spanish, Russian, German and Japanese. She has also retained positions as Vice chairperson in Kerala Sahitya Academy, chairperson in Kerala forestry Board, President of Kerala Children Film Society, Orient editor of Poet magazine and Poetry editor of Illustrated Weekly of India.