Debjani Chatterjee
Debjani Chatterjee MBE (born 21 November 1952) is an Indian-born British poet and writer. She was born in Delhi and now lives in Sheffield, England. She has lived in India, Japan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Egypt, and Morocco, before coming to Britain in 1972. She attended seven schools and four universities, receiving a BA from the American University in Cairo, Egypt, MA degrees from the University of Kent at Canterbury and Leeds Beckett University, and a PhD from Lancaster University, as well as a PGCE and honorary doctorate from Sheffield Hallam University.
Debjani Chatterjee | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 21 November 1952 Delhi |
| Occupation | poet, editor, writer and translator |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | BA (High Hons), MA (English and American Literature), MA (Arts Psychotherapy Practice), PGCE and PhD |
| Alma mater | American University in Cairo, University of Kent at Canterbury, University of Lancaster, Leeds Beckett University |
| Notable works | I was that woman, Namaskar, The Elephant-headed God and other Hindu tales, The most Beautiful child, Redbeck Anthology of British South-Asian Poetry, Who cares:Reminiscences of Yemeni carers, Barbed lines, Mango Shake |
| Notable awards | MBE |
| Spouse | Brian D'Arcy |
| Website | |
| dchatterjeewriter | |
She has written, translated, or edited more than 65 books, starting with the poetry collection I Was That Woman in 1989. She has won a number of prizes, including the Peterloo Poets Prize, and her book The Elephant-Headed God and Other Hindu Tales was selected for Children's Books of the Year in 1990.
In August 2010 Chatterjee contributed to an eBook collection of political poems entitled Emergency Verse - Poetry in Defence of the Welfare State edited by Alan Morrison.[1]
She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2008 New Year Honours and was an Olympic Torchbearer in 2012.
Selected publications
Poetry collections
I was that woman
Albino Gecko
Animal Antics[2]
Namaskar : New and selected poems
Words spit and splinter
Do you hear the storm sing?
Poetry anthologies
Rainbow world : Poems from many cultures
Masala : Poems from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
The Redbeck Anthology of British South-Asian Poetry
Let's celebrate! Poems about festivals from around the world (ed. with Brian D'Arcy)
Let's play! Poems about games and sports from around the world (ed. with Brian D'Arcy)
Prose
Who cares? Reminiscences of Yemeni carers
Mango Shake
Translations
Album by Uma Prasad Mukherjee (trans. with Tara Chatterjee)
Existence (Ostittwo) by Sanjay Bhattacharyya
Deep Dark Sigh (Dhushor dirgho'shaash) by Sanjay Bhattacharyya
Awards and prizes
2016 - Word Masala Excellence in Poetry Award
2015 - Word Masala Lifetime Achievement in Poetry
2014 onwards - Royal Literary Fund Associate Fellow
2012, 2013, 2014 - Royal Literary Fellowship at Leeds Trinity University
2012 - Olympic Torchbearer in Sheffield (in the Arts & Culture category)
2011 - Paper Tigers chose Let's Celebrate! Festival Poems... as Book of the Month
2009 - 1st Prize in Muse India Poetry Translation Competition with poems & songs by Kazi Nazrul Islam
2008 - Runner-up in Muse India Short Story Competition
2008 - MBE for 'services to Literature' in the Queen's New Year Honours
17 March 2008 - Irish Community Recognition & Honour Award from Sheffield Irish Society
2007 - Mango Shake selected Book of the Birmingham Festival
2006-2009 - Royal Literary Fellowship at York St John University
2004 - Rainbow World selected as EMMA (Ethnic & Multicultural Media Award) Finalist
2006 - Honorary Life Membership & Certificate from Nasir Kazmi Society, Lahore, for fulfilling the Society's aims & especially for her work in editing and translating Generations of Ghazals: Ghazals by Nasir Kazmi & Basir Sultan Kazmi
21 Nov. 2002 - Honorary doctorate from Sheffield Hallam University for 'outstanding contribution to Literature, the Arts & Community Service'
2000 - Raymond Williams Runner-up Prize for The Redbeck Anthology of British South Asian Poetry
1999 - 'Khitish' shortlisted by Matthew Sweeney as one of the best poems published by Crocus in Manchester
1997 - 'Fifty Years Late' selected Poem of the Month by the Poetry Society
1995 - Arts Council 'Women in the Arts Travel Award'
1995 - Yorkshire & Humberside Arts Writer's Award for poetry
1994 - Bengali Women's Support Group won a National Adult Learners' Group Award for their contribution to the Sahitya Press anthology Sweet & Sour / Omlo Modhur
1992 - 2nd Prize for 'Visiting E M Forster' in the Southport Writers Circle Open Poetry Competition
1992 - 'Invitation to the Party' won Special Mention in the Ripley Poetry Competition
1992 - 'Words Between Us' Highly Commended in the Bournmouth International Festival Poetry Competition
1992 - 'Koinobori' Commended in the English Explorer Magazine National Poetry Competition
1990 - First Prize for Barbed Lines / Katar Rekha in the Raymond Williams Community Publishing Competition
1990 - The Elephant-Headed God & Other Hindu Tales selected for Children's Books of the Year
1989 - Lancaster Litfest Poetry Prize for 'The Elephant'
1989 - Peterloo Poets Prize for 'The Parrot Fortune-Teller' & 'To the English Language'
1989 - 'Two-faced' (short story) shortlisted for Artrage Literature Awards
1989 - 'Paolozzi's Magic Kingdom' (poem) shortlisted for Artrage Literature Awards
1968 - Shankar's International Children's Prize for Poetry
OTHER PRIZES, AWARDS & HONOURS
June 2010 - Finalist for the Lesley Pearse Woman of Courage Award, Penguin Books
17 March 2009 - Irish Festival Certificate for 'outstanding contribution to the Irish community & Irish festivals', from Sheffield Irish Society
1976 - Senate Studentship at the University of Lancaster
1969, 1971, 1972 - President's Scholarship, American University in Cairo
1968, 1970 - Full Tuition Scholarship, American University in Cairo
External links
References
- The Recusant eZine
- "Pennine Pens: Animal Antics". www.penninepens.co.uk. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
Authority control  |
|
|---|