Dr. Meena Kandasamy
Background
Dr. Meena Kandasamy (born 1984) is an Indian poet, novelist, translator, and anti-caste activist. She holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in Sociolinguistics from Anna University, Chennai. Her work centers on caste annihilation, feminism, political repression, linguistic politics, and human rights. She has authored poetry collections including Touch (2006), Ms. Militancy (2010), and Tomorrow Someone Will Arrest You (2023), alongside critically acclaimed novels such as The Gypsy Goddess (2014) and When I Hit You
Address:
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India / London, United Kingdom
Occupation:
• Royal Society of Literature (Fellow)
• PEN International
• University of Iowa International Writing Program (Former Fellow)
Social Media Account:
About: -
Dr. Meena Kandasamy (born 1984) is an Indian poet, novelist, translator, and anti-caste activist. She holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in Sociolinguistics from Anna University, Chennai. Her work centers on caste annihilation, feminism, political repression, linguistic politics, and human rights. She has authored poetry collections including Touch (2006), Ms. Militancy (2010), and Tomorrow Someone Will Arrest You (2023), alongside critically acclaimed novels such as The Gypsy Goddess (2014) and When I Hit You: Or, A Portrait of the Writer as a Young Wife (2017), which was shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction. Beyond her fiction and poetry, she has translated works by Dravidian ideologue Periyar, Tamil activist Thol. Thirumaavalavan, and classical literature such as the Thirukkural (The Book of Desire) into English. In 2022, she was awarded the PEN Hermann Kesten Prize and elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL).