Sunil Gangopadhyay

Sunil Gangopadhyay or Sunil Ganguly (September 7, 1934 – October 23, 2012) was an Indian poet, novelist, short story writer, and critic. He played a key role in modernizing Bengali poetry and co-founded the 1953 avant-grade poetry magazine Krittibas. Widely regarded as one of the most prolific Bengali writers since Rabindranath Tagore, he has been called "the man who carried the modern consciousness of Bengal."

His debut novel, Atmaprakash (1964), established him as a novelist and was followed by Aranyer Din Ratri. Both were fictionalized account of real-life events. Sei Somoy, a work of historical fiction, marked a major departure from his earlier semi-autobiographical style and was later followed by its sequel, Pratham Alo (1996). His magnum opus, Purba Paschim, dealt with the partition of Bengal. Among his other notable works are the travelogue Payer Tolay Sorshe, published in two volumes, and the poetry collections Eka ebong Koekjon (1958), Ami Ki Rokom Vabe Beche Achi (1966), and Hathat Nirar Janya. The last title refers to his fictional lover, Nira. For children, he created Kakababu, writing 36 novels in the series. He also wrote extensively for Desh magazine and claimed to have written more prose for it than any other writer.

Among others awards, he received the 1985 Sahitya Akademi Award for Those Days (Sei Somoy). Among the films adapted from Sunil's works are, Aranyer Din Ratri and Pratidwandi (both 1970), Sabuj Dwiper Raja (1979), Ek Tukro Chand (2001), Mishawr Rawhoshyo (2013), Yeti Obhijaan (2017), and Kakababur Protyaborton (2022). In 2008, he was elected president of Sahitya Akademi, narrowly defeating the Malayalam writer M.T. Vasudevan Nair.

His simple, clear and conversational approach to prose with dry humor has inspired writers in Bengal and beyond. Shankha Ghosh noted that Sunil’s use of contemporary language let readers see parts of themselves they may have not seen," or "perhaps did not want to see." By doing so, he transformed personal confessions into shared experiences. According to Sitanshu Yashaschandra, Sunil never abandoned the personal for the regional, nor did he forsake his "Bengaliness" to seek a broader identity. "He is a writer of international stature, simply because he is a writer, such a good writer," he wrote.