Jibanananda Das

Jibanananda Das (17 February 1899 – 22 October 1954) was an Indian poet, writer, novelist and essayist who wrote in the Bengali language. Often referred to as the Rupashi Banglar Kabi (lit. ''Poet of Beautiful Bengal''), he is regarded as one of the most prominent Bengali poets after Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam, although he received limited recognition during his lifetime.

Born in Barisal to a Bengali Hindu family, Das studied English literature at Presidency College, Kolkata, and earned a master's degree from Calcutta University. He experienced persistent difficulty securing stable employment and faced financial hardship throughout his life. He taught at several colleges but never granted tenure. Following the partition of India, he permanently settled in Kolkata. Das died on 22 October 1954, eight days after being struck by a tram. Witnesses had later reported that the tram had sounded its whistle, but Das did not stop and was hit. Some accounts have speculated that the incident may have been a suicide.

Das was relatively unrecognised during his lifetime. Although he wrote profusely, he published little of his work, partly due to his introverted nature. Much of his writing remained unpublished, and only seven volumes of his poetry appeared during his lifetime. After his death, it was discovered that, in addition to poetry, Das had written 21 novels and 108 short stories. His notable works include Ruposhi Bangla, Banalata Sen, Mahaprithibi, and Shreshtha Kavita. His early poetry reflects the influence of Kazi Nazrul Islam, but by the latter half of the 20th century, his own work had become a major influence on the development of modern Bengali verse.

Das received the Rabindra-Memorial Award for Banalata Sen in 1953 at the All Bengal Rabindra Literature Convention. His collection Shrestha Kavita won the Sahitya Academy Award in 1955. A film inspired by his short story Jamrultola, titled 'Sunder Jibon' and directed by Sandeep Chattopadhyay (Chatterjee), was produced by Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, The film won the National Film Award for Best Short Fiction Film at the 50th National Film Awards, with Shantanu Bose in the lead role.