Maria Aurora Couto

Maria Aurora Couto is an Indian writer, and educationalist from Goa. She is best known for her book Goa: A Daughter's Story. She currently lives in the North Goan village of Aldona. She helped start the DD Kosambi Festival of Ideas and has been involved in activities of Goa University.

Maria Aurora Couto
Couto at her home in Carona, Aldona in 2015
Occupation
  • Writer
  • professor
Notable works
  • Goa: A Daughter's Story
  • Filomena's Journeys
Notable awardsPadma Shri (2010)

Early and personal life

Couto's family hails from the Goan Catholic community, a Christian community in Goa. Her parents were both from Salcete but she left Goa for Dharwad with her single mother when she was a child.[1] Couto went on to teach English literature in colleges[2] like Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi and Dhempe College, Panaji[3] and has contributed to periodicals in India and the United Kingdom.

Her husband, Alban Couto, belonged to the Indian Administrative Service. She met him in Mumbai and they have three children together, one of whom is named Veena.[3] Due to the nature of his work, they would travel and stay across the country and they almost settled down in Chennai before finally settling down in Aldona, Goa,[4] in his ancestral house, where she still resides. She enjoys listening to South African jazz and is passionate about films, having started a film club when she was a teacher.[3] Alban Couto died in June 2009.[5]

Career

Couto's writing career began with her 1986 book about Graham Greene.[2] Her 2004 book, Goa: A Daughter's Story, covers the history of Goa along with being an autobiography. The book discusses Goa, from the prehistoric times to its Portuguese colonialism to its Liberation and subsequent loss of culture.[6] In 2014, Couto released her book Filomena's Journeys, which delves into the life of her mother, Filomena Borges, covering "Goa’s dying Catholic elite" as it shows the shift of society and culture in Goa.[2]

Being the Chairperson of the DD Kosambi Centenary Committee in 2008, Couto helped initiate the DD Kosambi Festival of Ideas, a lecture series sponsored by the Department of Culture, Govt of Goa.[7] Couto has also been actively involved with the Goa University.[3]

Works

The works of Couto include:

  • Couto, Maria (1988). Graham Greene: On the Frontier, Politics and Religion in the Novels. London: Macmillan.
  • Couto, Maria (2004). Goa: A Daughter's Story. Penguin Books India. ISBN 978-0-14-303343-1.
  • Pereira, A. B. de Braganca (2008). Ethnography of Goa, Daman and Diu. Penguin UK. ISBN 978-93-5118-208-5. (a translation of Etnografia da India Portuguesa by A.B. Braganza Pereira from Portuguese)
  • Couto, Maria (2013). Filomena's Journeys: A Portrait of a Marriage, a Family & a Culture. Aleph Book Company. ISBN 978-93-82277-04-0.

Awards

In 2010, she received the Padma Shri award.[8][9]

References
  1. Moniz Barbosa, Alexandre (4 December 2013). "Maria Aurora Couto: A Goan daughter's story of her mother's inspiring journey". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  2. Pisharoty, Sangeeta Barooah (26 March 2014). "A sketch in time". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  3. Coutinho, Tonella (10 May 2015). "Goa's daughter tells her story". The Times of India. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  4. "Mega debate at Canacona remains inconclusive". Herald Goa. 18 August 2010. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  5. "Alban Couto no more". The Times of India. 28 June 2009. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  6. Hoskote, Ranjit (4 April 2004). "Apparent divide, actual bridges". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 14 April 2004. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  7. "Dr Kosambi an active fighter for peace: Ansari". One India.com. 4 February 2008. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  8. "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 November 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  9. "List of Padma awardees 2010". The Hindu. 26 January 2010. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
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