Nissim Ezekiel (1924 – 2004) was an eminent Jewish writer of English, best known as a poet of international acclaim. His name is taken among the quartet who laid the foundation of Indian English poetry in the modern era, the other three being Jayanta Mahapatra, A. K. Ramanujan and R. Parthasarathy. He was also an artist, known as an actor, playwright, and art critic. He received Sahitya Akademi Award for English literature in 1983 for his poetry collection, “Latter-Day Psalms“. Through his works, he has explored Indian civilization and tradition, and is well-known for the clever use of Indian English as a means to explore the Indian mind and sensibility.
Nissim Ezekiel – Acclaimed English Writer
Nissim Ezekiel was born in Mumbai into a Jewish family. He was into teaching profession, along with his writings and art work, and also had a brief stint in politics. In 1952 he published first book, The Bad Day, followed by ‘The Deadly Man’ in 1960, and both were poetry collections in English. Hymns in Darkness, Latter-Day Psalms, The Discovery of India etc are a few more books. He was a recipient of the prestigious Padma Shri in 1988.
Nissim Ezekiel – Some interesting and lesser-known facts
1. He is considered the father of Modern Indian English poetry by many critics.
2. He worked as an advertising copywriter in the 1960s.
3. He is the uncle of singer and actor, Nandu Bhende.
4. He started the literary magazine Jumpo in 1961.
5. He translated Marathi poems of Indira Sant to English – Snakeskin and Other Poems in 1974.
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