Shampa Sinha is a doctor and writer with previous careers in diplomacy and public health. She is best known for her poem Siesta, which won the First Prize in the Fifth National Poetry Competition in 1993 organized by The Poetry Society (India) in collaboration with British Council. [1]
A cultural hybrid, Shampa was born in India but grew up in England, Zambia and Papua New Guinea. After studying economics and law at the University of Tasmania, Australia, she joined the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. After short-term missions as part of the Australian delegation to the United Nations to Bangkok, New York and Geneva, she had a long-term posting in the political and economic section of the Australian Embassy in Mexico City. She resigned from the foreign service in 2003 after being awarded the Sasakawa Young Leaders' Scholarship to study at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of International and Public Affairs. After graduating from Princeton, she worked at the World Bank's Washington D.C. headquarters before deciding to return to Australia to attend medical school.
She currently practices as a doctor in Australia. Throughout her career changes, she has continued to write poetry, short stories, travel articles and, more recently, narrative essays in medicine which have been published in 100 Words (a journal published by the University of Iowa's International Writing Program), The Australian newspaper, Australian Doctor, the Calcutta Statesman, Hektoen International, the Post Courier (PNG) and the Times of Papua New Guinea.
Shampa won All India Poetry Prize in 1993 for her poem "Siesta". Peter Forbes, Editor, Poetry Review, London, who was the Chairman of the awarding committee, described her as the best promising young poet in English from India. Shampa Sinha had also won the Special Prize for Young Poet in the Third National Poetry Competition 1991 for her poem "The Difference".
In 2023 Shampa Sinha was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to investigate innovative aged care and palliative care models worldwide. https://www.churchilltrust.com.au/fellow/shampa-sinha-tas-2023/
Judith Arundell Wright was an Australian poet, environmentalist and campaigner for Aboriginal land rights. She was a recipient of the Christopher Brennan Award and nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1964, 1965 and 1967.
Indian poetry and Indian literature in general, has a long history dating back to Vedic times. They were written in various Indian languages such as Vedic Sanskrit, Classical Sanskrit, Ancient Meitei, Modern Meitei, Telugu, Tamil, Odia, Maithili, Kannada, Bengali, Assamese, Hindi, Marathi and Urdu among other prominent languages. Poetry in foreign languages such as English also has a strong influence on Indian poetry. The poetry reflects diverse spiritual traditions within India. In particular, many Indian poets have been inspired by mystical experiences. Poetry is the oldest form of literature and has a rich written and oral tradition.
Jordie Albiston was an Australian poet.
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature.
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature.
Tishani Doshi FRSL is an Indian poet, journalist and dancer based in Chennai. In 2006 she won the Forward Prize for Best First Collection due to Countries of the Body. Her poetry book A God at the Door was later shortlisted for the 2021 Forward Prize for Best Collection. She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2023.
Kate Lilley is a contemporary Australian poet and academic.
Debjani Chatterjee MBE is an Indian-born British poet and writer. She lives in Sheffield, England.
Rukmini Bhaya Nair is a linguist, poet, writer and critic of India. She won the First Prize for her poem kali in the "All India Poetry Competition" in 1990 organised by The Poetry Society (India) in collaboration with British Council. She is currently a professor at Humanities and Social Sciences department of the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. Nair is known for being a trenchant critic of the Hindutva ideology and the religious and caste discrimination that it promotes.
Tapan Kumar Pradhan is an Indian poet, writer and translator from Odisha. He is best known for his poem collection "Kalahandi" which was awarded second place in Sahitya Akademi's Golden Jubilee Indian Literature Translation Prize for Poetry in 2007. His other works include "Equation", "I, She and the Sea", "Wind in the Afternoon" and "Dance of Shiva".
The Poetry Society (India) was formed in July 1984 at New Delhi as a voluntary association to promote Indian poetry and to look after the interests of Indian Poets. The founding members included the Indian poets Keshav Malik, J P Das, H K Kaul and Lakshmi Kannan. The Society conducts seminars, creative writing workshops, reading and publication of poetry journal and anthologies. It also conducts All India Poetry Competitions, including competitions among school children.
Shahnaz Habib is an Indian essayist, fiction writer, travel writer, and translator based in the United States of America. She teaches writing at Bay Path University and The New School, and works as a consultant for the United Nations. In 2018, she received the JCB Prize for Literature.
"Siesta" is one of the best known poems of Shampa Sinha, the Indian born Australian poet. The poem won First Prize in the Fifth All India Poetry Competition conducted by The Poetry Society (India) in 1993. The poem was the second major award winning work of Shampa Sinha after she won the Best Young Poet award at the Third National Poetry Competition in 1991 for the poem "The Difference".
"A Farmer's Ghost" is a popular English poem by the Indian poet and writer Anju Makhija. The poem won First Prize in the Fifth All India Poetry Competition conducted by The Poetry Society (India) in 1994. The poem has been widely cited and anthologised in reputed journals and scholarly volumes on contemporary Indian poetry.
"Punarnava" is a popular award-winning poem by the noted Indian English poet and literary critic Rajlukshmee Debee Bhattacharya. The poem won First Prize in the Third All India Poetry Competition conducted by The Poetry Society (India) in 1991. The poem has been widely cited and anthologised in reputed journals and scholarly volumes on contemporary Indian poetry.
"Kali" is a popular award-winning poem by the eminent Indian writer, linguist and literary critic Rukmini Bhaya Nair. The poem won First Prize in the Second All India Poetry Competition conducted by The Poetry Society (India) in 1990. The poem has been widely cited and anthologised in reputed journals and scholarly volumes on contemporary Indian poetry.
Mark Tredinnick is an Australian poet, essayist and teacher. Winner of the Montreal International Poetry Prize in 2011 and the Cardiff International Poetry Competition in 2012. He is the author of thirteen books, including four volumes of poetry ; The Blue Plateau;The Little Red Writing Book and Writing Well: the Essential Guide.
Brendan Ryan is a present-day Australian poet. Much of his work concerns rural life.
Mona Arshi is a British poet. She won the Forward Prize for Poetry, Best First Collection in 2015 for her work Small Hands.
All India Poetry Prize was instituted by Poetry Society of India in 1988. The prizes are awarded to the best single work of poetry submitted by an Indian poet. The number of prizes varies from year to year.
