Maitreyi Pushpa

Maitreyi Pushpa
Born	30th November, 1944 Aligarh District
Residence	New Delhi
Citizenship	Indian
Nationality	Indian
Known for	Indian women's literature
Notable awards	Sahitya Kriti Samman; Katha Puruskar

Maitreyi Pushpa ((मैत्रेयी पुष्पा) (born 30 November 1944), is a Hindi fiction writer. An eminent writer in Hindi, Maitreyi Pushpa has nine novels and three short story collections to her credit. She also writes prolifically for newspapers on current issues concerning women, and adopts a questioning, daring and challenging stance in her writings. Best known are her Chak, Alma Kabutari, Jhoola Nat and an autobiographical novel Kasturi Kundal Base.

Early life

Maitreyi Pushpa was born in Sikurra village, Aligarh district. She spent her childhood and early years in Khilli, another village in Bundelkhand near Jhansi.

Thus, she inherited the vitality of both the cultures and languages of Bundeli and Brij on which she has enviable command. She did her post graduation in Hindi from Bundelkhand College, Jhansi.

Career

Maitreyi Pushpa started writing very late ; yet in less than ten years, she has authored three collections of short stories and eight novels besides writing regular column in weekly Rashtriya Sahara.

Writing Style

Since she is the only woman writer in Hindi who has chosen to write about rural India, her writing is a constant struggle against the feudal system which still prevails in Indian villages. Her protagonists are always fearless women upholding feminine dignity, who suffer and resist the male domination. No other woman writer in Hindi grapples with and depicts the rural politics and reality better than Maitreyi. She is bold and forthright.For her powerful idiomatic language and uninhibited treatment she is the most talked about author today.

As the famous author, Rajendra Yadav says, Maitreyi Pushpa has released Hindi literature from the closed and suffocating atmosphere of cities into the open spaces of villages and fields, in a way that no Hindi writer has done before. She has given new definitions to both our bookish titles and language. After independence, Maitryi's work would be the third name after Rangey Raghav and Phanishwar Nath 'Renu' which has burst into the skies of literature like a comet.

Her works

Story Collections:

• Samagr kahaniyan ab tak
• 10 Pratinidhi Kahaniyan
• Chinhaar
• Lalmaniyaan
• Goma hansti hai
• Peyaari ka sapna

Novels :

• Gunaah Begunaah
• Gudiya bheetar gudiya
• Kahi Isuri Phaag
• Triya hath
• Kasturi Kundal base
• Betavaa behti rahi
• Idannammam
• Chaak
• Jhoola Nut
• Alma Kabootri
• Vision
• Aganpaakhi
• Mandakranta
• Vision

Telefilm:

• “Vasumati ki chitthi”, based on the story “Faisla”

Women discourses:

• Khuli khidkiyaan
• Suno maalik suno

Awards and Facilitations

• Sarojini Naidu Puruskar by the Hunger Project
• SAARC Literary Award for outstanding writing
• Agra University Gaurav Shri Award-2011
• Sudha Smriti Samman : On 31st July, 2009, on the eve of Premchand Jayanti, Ms. Maitryi Pushpa was honored with the Sudha Smriti Samman by Namvar Singh during the 24th Annual conference of Hans, a leading literary magazine.
• Sahitya Kriti Samman by Hindi Academy
• Katha Puruskar for the story “Faisla”
• Premchand Samman, 1995, Uttar Pradesh Sahitya Sansthan for “Betava behti rahi”
• Nanjanaguddu Tirumalamba Award (Shashwathi Sanstha, Bangalore) for Idannammam
• Premchand Samman (Uttar Pradesh Sahitya Sansthan) for Idannammam
• Vir Singh Ju Dev Puruskar (Madhya Pradesh Sahitya Sansthan) for Idannammam
• Kathakram Samman for Idannammam
• Sahityakar Samman by Hindi Academy, Delhi

Maitreyi Pushpa receiving the “Agra University Gaurav Shri Award-2011” on 8th October, 2011

Maitreyi Pushpa receiving the Sudha Smriti Samman on 31st July, 2009 by Namvar Singh as Arundhati Roy and Ashok Vajpayee look on

References

http://www.maitreyipushpa.org/

http://www.womenswriting.com/WomensWriting/AuthorProfileDetail.asp?AuthorID=8

http://kathamedia.blogspot.com/2006/11/maitreyi-pushpa-udaya-narayana-singh.html

External links

• http://www.india-today.com/itoday/19991213/maitreyi.html
• http://www.museindia.com/showcont.asp?id=245
• http://www.womenswriting.com/WomensWriting/AuthorProfileDetail.asp?AuthorID=8
• http://www.thp.org/snp/2003/essay1.htm
• http://www.hindu.com/mp/2006/11/16/stories/2006111600770300.htm
• Works by or about Maitreyi Pushpa in libraries (WorldCat catalog)