Poile Sengupta
POILE SENGUPTA
I am a novelist, poet, playwright and short fiction writer, for both children and adults.
I began writing for children when I was in college. In 1968, I began “A Letter to You”, a humour column for the children’s magazine, Children’s World, which ran for nearly three decades. I have regularly written for the children's magazine Target and columns for children in Deccan Herald, Bangalore, The Times of India, Bangalore, and Midday, Mumbai. My recent fiction for children includes "Role Call" and "Role Call Again", 2003, by Rupa and Co., "Vikram and Vetal", 2005, and "Vikramaditya’s Throne", 2007, from Puffin. My stories have also been included in several anthologies, among them the iconic "The Puffin Treasury of Modern Indian Stories". "Role Call" has been translated and published in Bhasa Indonesia and "Vikram and Vetal" in French.
I also have a book of six plays published by Routledge – "Women Centre Stage", 2010. My first play Mangalam won a special award at The Hindu-Madras Players playscripts competition in 1993. Keats was a Tuber was shortlisted and received a special mention at the 1996 British Council International New Playwriting Competition. Samara’s Song was one of three plays in the final shortlist of The Hindu Metroplus Playscripts Competition, 2008. In 1999-2000, I received a Senior Fellowship for Literature of the Department of Culture, Government of India, to write plays for children. A set of seven one Act plays for children – "Good Heavens!" – was published by Puffin in 2006.
My short story Ammulu was shortlisted for the 2012 Commonwealth short story prize. It has now been published in "The Best Asian Short Stories" by Kitaab.
My first novel for adults Inga was published in October 2014 and has received critical acclaim. The DNA Mumbai called it “Booker worthy”!
My picture book "Four" was published by Tulika Publishers in 2018.
I have been on the Governing Body of the National School of Drama, India, and several times on the jury of the Trinity College international playwriting competition for children. I have acted in several plays and in the award winning films "The Outhouse" and "Shaitan".
