Metikurke Ramaswamy Kamala (Kannada: ಎಂ.ಆರ್.ಕಮಲ)[1] is an Indian Kannada language author, poet, and translator.[2][3]
M R Kamala | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1959-03-27)27 March 1959 Metikurke, Arasikere, Hassan, Karnataka, India |
| Occupation | Poet, Translator, Teacher |
| Notable works | Shankutala Vyakana, Jaane Mattu Itara KavitegaLu |
Kamala was born in Metikurke, a village in Hassan district of Karnataka.[4] Her parents, N H Raamaswamy and Vishaalakshi, had a farm, and she was the second youngest of 11 siblings. Her father, who was a gamaka performer, encouraged her interest in literature.[5]
Kamala's early education was in the nearby school in her hometown. She moved to Bangalore after her SSLC examinations, receiving a BA degree from MES college. She studied Kannada at Bangalore University, receiving a MA in 1980, as well as a Bachelor of Laws degree.[6]
Kamala began writing poems and stories at an early age, and when she was at college, some of them were published in college magazines. She also had a few stories published in the Sunday edition of the newspaper Prajavani. Her first poetry collection, Shakuntalopakhyana was published in 1988.
Many of her poems have been translated into other languages, including English, Bengali, Gujarati, Malayalam, Telugu and Marathi, and in 2005, some of them were set to music by composer C. Ashwath.
She has also worked as a translator, translating books from various languages[vague] into Kannada. She has primarily focused on translating works written by women, including African, Arab, and African-American female writers. Her translation of Maya Angelou's autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
She started her academic career working as a Kannada Lecturer in a government college, at Halebidu in 1981. She retired as principal of Shivanahalli Government Pre University College, Rajajinagar, Bengaluru in 2018.[3]
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