In her last column published on November 3 in a Bengali magazine, writer and academic Nabaneeta Dev Sen, 81, wrote “Thik achhe. Na hoy cancer-i hoyechhe. Cancer to ekhon alakhhi-r jhapir moto ghore ghore guchhiye boshechhe. Ami-i ba bad jai keno? Hothat ashitipor Nabaneeta-r jonye eto shok kisher? (So what if I have cancer. It has settled down like bad luck in so many households. Why should I be left out? Why should there be an outpouring of grief for octogenarian Nabaneeta?)”
On Friday, when the Sahitya Akademi award-winning writer passed away in her Hindustan Road residence in Kolkata, the outpouring of grief from generations of readers was a tribute to her original literary voice, her sparkling wit and her striking forthrightness.
Born to poets Narendranath and Radharani Dev in January 1938, Nabaneeta Dev Sen grew up in Kolkata and graduated from Presidency College. Her first collection of poetry, Pratham Pratyay, was published in 1959 and her first short story collection, Monsieur Hulor Holiday, in 1980. Her repertoire included poetry, short stories, novels, travelogues and essays that had, at their core, the feminine experience — in books like Nati Nabaneeta, Bhalobashar Baranda, Dev Sen wrote deeply personal accounts of the lives of Bengali middle-class women, their aspirations and assertions of independence.
Recently, Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee had paid a visit to Dev Sen at her residence.
She also examined contemporary social issues, the loneliness of nuclear families, gender identity, immigration and exile in her works. Ami Anupam, written in 1976, for instance, delved into the role of the Bengali intelligentsia during the Naxal movement. She had also extensively worked on the Ramayana, examining it from the perspective of Sita and other female characters. Her Sita Theke Shuru and the work she did on the Chandrabati Ramayana are seminal works in Bengali literature.
Dev Sen married Amartya Sen, economist and Nobel laureate, in 1959. The two separated in 1976. They have two daughters, Antara and Nandana.
She earned her PhD degree from Indiana University, US. She taught in the Comparative Literature department of Jadavpur University besides holding academic positions in various noted universities across the world. She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2000.
“Nabaneeta di occupies a unique place in Bengal’s literary canon. Her deep erudition shows up in the wide arc of her scholarship. From travelogues to her work on Ramayana, she represented an unparalleled blend of humour and original vision. Despite the fact that she had been very unwell for some time now, she had a deep love for life and was completely committed to her writing,” said National Award-winning song writer and film director Anindya Chatterjee, who has known her for over a decade.
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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted, “Saddened at the passing away of noted litterateur and academic Nabaneeta Dev Sen. A recipient of several awards, her absence will be felt by her myriad students and well-wishers. My condolences to her family and admirers.”
A statement released by the Presidency Alumni Association said, “We convey our deepest condolences at the sad demise of Nabaneeta Dev Sen, beloved president of Presidency Alumni Association. She was the first woman president of (the) alumni association.”
Paromita Chakrabarti is Senior Associate Editor at the The Indian Express. She is a key member of the National Editorial and Opinion desk and writes on books and literature, gender discourse, workplace policies and contemporary socio-cultural trends.
Professional Profile
With a career spanning over 20 years, her work is characterized by a "deep culture" approach—examining how literature, gender, and social policy intersect with contemporary life.
Specialization: Books and publishing, gender discourse (specifically workplace dynamics), and modern socio-cultural trends.
Editorial Role: She curates the literary coverage for the paper, overseeing reviews, author profiles, and long-form features on global literary awards.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Her recent writing highlights a blend of literary expertise and sharp social commentary:
1. Literary Coverage & Nobel/Booker Awards
"2025 Nobel Prize in Literature | Hungarian master of apocalypse" (Oct 10, 2025): An in-depth analysis of László Krasznahorkai’s win, exploring his themes of despair and grace.
"Everything you need to know about the Booker Prize 2025" (Nov 10, 2025): A comprehensive guide to the history and top contenders of the year.
"Katie Kitamura's Audition turns life into a stage" (Nov 8, 2025): A review of the novel’s exploration of self-recognition and performance.
2. Gender & Workplace Policy
"Karnataka’s menstrual leave policy: The problem isn’t periods. It’s that workplaces are built for men" (Oct 13, 2025): A viral opinion piece arguing that modern workplace patterns are calibrated to male biology, making women's rights feel like "concessions."
"Best of Both Sides: For women’s cricket, it’s 1978, not 1983" (Nov 7, 2025): A piece on how the yardstick of men's cricket cannot accurately measure the revolution in the women's game.
3. Social Trends & Childhood Crisis
"The kids are not alright: An unprecedented crisis is brewing in schools and homes" (Nov 23, 2025): Writing as the Opinions Editor, she analyzed how rising competition and digital overload are overwhelming children.
4. Author Interviews & Profiles
"Fame is another kind of loneliness: Kiran Desai on her Booker-shortlisted novel" (Sept 23, 2025): An interview regarding The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny.
"Once you’ve had a rocky and unsafe childhood, you can’t trust safety: Arundhati Roy" (Aug 30, 2025): A profile on Roy’s recent reflections on personal and political violence.
Signature Beats
Gender Lens: She frequently critiques the "borrowed terms" on which women navigate pregnancy, menstruation, and caregiving in the corporate world.
Book Reviews: Her reviews often draw parallels between literature and other media, such as comparing Richard Osman’s The Impossible Fortune to the series Only Murders in the Building (Oct 25, 2025). ... Read More
3 min read
Nabaneeta Dev Sen (1938-2019)
Recently, Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee had paid a visit to Dev Sen at her residence.
