Kamala Das: 1934-2009 

Kamala Das was a renowned Indian poet, novelist, essayist, and memoirist. Though the writer published six poetry collections, she was best known for her ‘racy’ autobiography titled My Story (1976). Das was often dubbed a ‘confessional poet’ because of the fierce honesty with which she wrote about her life, womanhood, menstruation, sex, and infidelity. To some, she was known as Madhavikutty, the pseudonym she used when writing in Malayalam. Then Ami, the pet name she used to refer to herself in her memoirs. Later in life, she gave herself yet another name, Suraiyya, to mark her conversion to Islam. 

Mir Mahfuz Ali: 1958-Present 

Mir Mahfuz Ali is a poet and performance artist born in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He now resides in London, England. He is known for his unique voice, a rich, throaty whisper which was triggered by a Bangladeshi policeman shooting him in the neck at an anti-war protest. In his own words on his poetry: “I want the taste to linger in the readers’ mouths and on their skin”. His writing is sensuous, palpable, tending towards rapture, yet unflinchingly revealing of trauma and extreme events.

Sahir Ludhianvi: 1921-1980 

Sahir Ludhianvi was a renowned Urdu poet and Hindi lyricist and songwriter. The poet was born into the wealthy family of a Muslim Gujjar as ‘Abdul Hayee’ in Ludhiana, India on the 8th of March 1921. Ludhianvi’s poetry is known for its lyrical quality, and strong political message. He was deemed a master of the Ghazal and the Nazm, two traditional forms of Urdu poetry. His Ghazals are often characterised by the use of metaphor and symbolism, while his Nazms are more straightforward and political. In recognition of his literary contributions, he was awarded the Padma Shri in 1971. In 1973, he was also awarded the Soviet Land Nehru Award for Aao Ki Koi Khwab Bune. His poems have been translated into many different languages.

Vijay Nambisan: 1963-2017 

Vijay Nambisan was an Indian poet, writer, critic, journalist, and translator. In 1988, he won the first All India Poetry Competition with his poem “Madras Central”. His debut poetry collection, titled Gemini (1992), was a shared edition with Jeet Thayil and introduced by Dom Moraes. His second collection, First Infinities (2015) was published by Poetrywala. He also published two acclaimed non-fiction books, Bihar Is in the Eye of the Beholder (2000) and Language as an Ethic (2003), in addition to Two Measures of Bhakti (2009) which includes translations of works by Poonthanam Nambudiri and Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri.

Vivek Narayanan: 1972-Present 

Vivek Narayanan was born in India and raised in Zambia. He earned an MA in Cultural Anthropology from Stanford University, as well as an MFA in Creative Writing from Boston University. His published poetry collections include: Universal Beach (2006 & 2011), Life and Times of Mr S (2012 & 2020), and After (2022). From 2007 until 2019, Narayanan was the co-editor of Almost Island, an India-based literary journal. His essays and poetry have appeared in Agni, Granta, The Village Voice, The Paris Review, Harvard Review, Caravan, and many more.

Shamim Azad: 1952-Present 

Shamim Azad is a Bangladeshi-British poet, storyteller, and writer. The poet was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh and in 1990, she came to London, England. She currently resides in Ilford, England. The subject of Azad’s writing ranges from Bangladeshi to European folktales. Her workshops focus on Asian folk and oral traditions, as well as heritage. Azad has published many kinds of writing including novels, short story collections, essays, and poems in English and Bangla. The poet has also been included in various anthologies, for example: British South Asian Poetry, My Birth Was Not In Vain, Velocity, Emlit Project and Mother Tongues.

Sukumar Ray: 1887-1923 

Sukumar Ray was a Bengali poet, writer, and illustrator. He was born in Calcutta, India to his father, Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, who was a children’s story writer. Ray pioneered the genre of ‘literary nonsense’ in the Bengali sphere of literature. His writing appealed to both children and adults, because of his sharp wit and command of language. Writing about the poet for India Today, Roshni Chakrabarty credits Ray as the ‘father of India’s graphic novels’ because he often illustrated his poetry with cartoons.

Elly Niland: 1954-Present 

Elly Niland is a Guyanese poet, playwright, and teacher. Niland was born in her grandmother’s house on the Corentyne coast of Guyana in 1954, and moved to the United Kingdom in 1967. She has settled down in Surrey, England with her husband and children. Her literary influences are eclectic, just like her style which is tender and firm, cynical and compassionate, but always overflowing with irrepressible soulful spirit. It is clear that her work is also packed with what she terms “that amalgam of influence”: childhood in Guyana, life in Britain, in addition to the creolised Indian culture of the Caribbean. In her own words: “I don’t live in Guyana but Guyana lives in me”.

Bose (1975-2007)

Bose was a poet, journalist and editor from Kilinochchi in Northern Sri Lanka.  Known for being uncompromisingly principled in his journalism he was an outspoken critic of the Sri Lankan Army and was detained and tortured by them in 2001. He was assassinated at his home in 2007, in front of his seven year old son.  Attacks against journalists in Sri Lanka reached a high point during the ten-year presidency of Mahinda Rajapaksa (2005-2015).

Adil Jussawalla: 1940-Present

Adil Jussawalla (b. 1940) is a Mumbai-based Indian poet and editor, known primarily for his works Land’s End and Trying to Say Goodbye. He won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2014. His poetry uniquely captures urban dislocation and postcolonial angst, with its evocative imagery and adventurous linguistic approach. 

Amit Chaudhuri: 1962-Present

Amit Chaudhuri (b. 1962, Kolkata) is an Indian poet, novelist, essayist, and musician. His poetry collections include St. Cyril Road and Other Poems and Sweet Shop. He received the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Finding the Raga in 2021. Chaudhuri’s work weaves together literary and musical traditions, reflecting his background in Indian classical music. 

Amrita Pritam: 1919-2005

Amrita Pritam (1919–2005), born in Gujranwala (now Pakistan), was a pioneering Indian poet and novelist, renowned for her seminal works in Punjabi and Hindi. Her acclaimed poem “Ajj Aakhaan Waris Shah Nu” documents the Partition’s horrors, while her novel Pinjar contemplates women’s trauma during that era. In 1956, she became the first woman to receive the Sahitya Akademi Award for her poetry collection Sunehade . Pritam’s writings, with their deep emotional resonance and feminist themes, continue to engage readers worldwide.

Eunice de Souza: 1940–2017

Eunice de Souza (1940–2017) was an influential Indian poet, novelist, and literary critic. Born in Pune to a Goan Catholic family, she taught English literature at St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, for over three decades. Her poetry collections, including Fix (1979), Women in Dutch Painting (1988), and A Necklace of Skulls (2009), are celebrated for their concise language, ironic tone, and unflinching honesty. De Souza also penned novels – such as Dangerlok (2001) and Dev & Simran (2003) – and edited several anthologies, notably Nine Indian Women Poets (2001). Her work often explored themes of identity, religion, gender, and the complexities of postcolonial India. She passed away in Mumbai on July 29, 2017. 

Satchidanandan: 1946-Present

Satchidanandan (b. 1946, Kerala) is a leading Indian poet, critic, and translator writing in Malayalam and English. As a pioneer of modern Malayalam poetry, he has published numerous poetry collections, essays, plays, and translations. Celebrated works of his include While I Write and The Missing Rib. Satchidanandan’s poetry is known for its verbal innovation and engagement with social issues. As of 2025, he remains active in literary circles. He is recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award (2012) and over 50 other honorary accolades, such as the Gangadhar Meher National Award (2002), the Vayalar Award (2005), and the NTR National Literary Award (2009).

Keki N. Daruwalla: 1937–2024 

Keki N. Daruwalla (1937–2024) was a distinguished Indian poet and short story writer. Born in Lahore, he later moved to India and served in the Indian Police Service, and latterly, in the field of national security. His poetry, including collections like The Keeper of the Dead and Landscapes, is well-known for its graphic depictions and explorations of violence and displacement. Daruwalla received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1984 and the Commonwealth Poetry Prize for Asia in 1987. He passed away in Delhi at the age of 87.