Sujata Bhatt (Indian Poet) Age, Biography, Family

Quick Info

Profession	Poet
Nationality	Indian
Date of Birth	06/05/1956
Age	69 years
Birthplace	Ahmedabad, India
Hometown	Pune, Maharashtra
Marital Status	Married

Latest News about Sujata Bhatt

2026

Sujata Bhatt is set to move into prose writing with the publication of 'Dr Work's Leopard: Life with Appa,' a series of stories in no particular order that draw from living memory. This marks a significant shift in her literary career from poetry to prose.

Do you like Sujata Bhatt?

You can vote only once.

Physical Stats & More

Eye Color	Black
Hair Color	Black

Educational Qualification(s)

School	St. Helena's School in Pune
College/University	Goucher College, Baltimore University of Iowa
Qualifications	Graduation in Science and Literature from Goucher College, Baltimore MFA from University of Iowa B.A. in 1980 from Goucher College, Baltimore MFA in 1986 from University of Iowa

Personal Life

Religion	Honours all religions
Food Habit	Non-vegetarian
Current Residence	Bremen, Germany

Relationships & More

Marital Status	Married
Marriage Date	1988

Family

Father

Name

Mother

Name

Siblings

Spouse

Michael Augustin (German writer)

Children

1 daughter

Other Relatives

Paternal Grandfather	Nanabhai Bhatt (educationist)

Career

First Book	Brunizem (1988)
Awards	In 1991, she received the Cholmondeley Award. In 2000, she received the Italian Tratti Poetry Prize. In 1987, she received the Commonwealth Poetry Prize (Asia) for her first collection, Brunizem. In 1987, she received the Alice Hunt Bartlett Prize for her first collection, Brunizem. In 1991, Poetry Book Society Recommendation for Monkey Shadows. In 2000, Poetry Book Society Recommendation for Augatora. In 2008, Pure Lizard was shortlisted for the Forward Poetry Prize for Best Poetry Collection of the Year. In 2013, Collected Poems received PBS Special Commendation. In 1988, she received the Alice Hunt Bartlett Prize for Brunizem. In 1988, she received the Commonwealth Poetry Prize (Asia) for Brunizem.
Notable Works	Brunizem (1988) Point No Point (1997) Augatora (2000) Monkey Shadows (1991) The Colour of Solitude (2002) The Stinking Rose (1995) Pure Lizard (2008) Poppies in Translation (2015) Collected Poems (2013) The One Who Goes Away (1989) A Colour for Solitude (2002)
Career Highlights	She worked as a research assistant and medical intern at the Johns Hopkins University Medical School after her graduation. In 1987, Brunizem, her debut collection, was released. The majority of the poetry in her first book talked about her longing to reunite with her homeland, India, her memories and experiences there, and her detachment from it. Brunizem is a collection of sixty poems, with each section generally representing three different experiences. Brunizem included the poem 'Swami Anand,' which was inspired by her encounter with the Indian writer and monk Swami Anand. In 1992, she served as a visiting writer at the University of Victoria’s Lansdown in British Columbia, Canada. She also served as a visiting fellow at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania and a Poet-in-Residence at The Poetry Archive in London. In 1994, Tongues Untied, a UK-based South Asian Dance Youth Company, presented her poem 'Search for My Tongue' in nine cities in England and Scotland. Her Literary work has been translated into more than 20 languages. She was Poet-in-Residence in Ireland at the Heinrich Böll Cottage. She currently lives in Bremen, Germany with her husband and daughter. She has published eight collections of poetry with Carcanet Press. She translated Gujarati poetry into English for the Penguin Anthology of Contemporary Indian Women Poets. She has translated Gujarati poetry into English for the Penguin Anthology of Contemporary Indian Women Poets. She has translated poetry from German into English, including works by Michael Augustin.

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Sujata Bhatt's anthology "Brunizem" was published in 1988.
2. She was born in Ahmedabad, India, and later moved to Pune with her parents.
3. Her close-knit extended family played a significant role in her upbringing.
4. Inspired by her grandfather and uncles, who were writers, she chose to pursue writing.
5. Since childhood, she has been known for storytelling among her siblings, cousins, and friends.
6. Sujata began telling stories in Gujarati and later wrote poems in English.
7. At five, she moved to New Orleans due to family financial issues, returning to Pune at age eight.
8. By twelve, she moved to Connecticut for her education, as her father wanted her to study science.
9. Despite studying science initially, she later pursued philosophy due to her passion for literature and poetry.
10. To read Sartre and Lorca in their native languages, she learned French and German in college.
11. One of her famous poems, 'Search for My Tongue,' was influenced by her meeting with Swami Anand.
12. Apart from "Brunizem," she published several other collections on various themes.
13. Her poetry delved into women's experiences with childbirth, pregnancy, and desires.
14. Sujata translated Gujarati poems into English for the Penguin Anthology of Indian Women Poets.
15. Her work was performed by dance companies in the UK, Scotland, and Hong Kong.
16. Her literary works have been translated into over 20 languages worldwide.
17. She has traveled extensively and lived in Europe, the US, and India.
18. Sujata believes her need to become a poet stemmed from being away from her homeland.
19. She describes Gujarati as 'the deepest layer of my identity' and explores the repercussions of her divided linguistic heritage in her work.
20. Her poems explore themes of identity, language, cultural intricacies, home, and mental mapping of the world.

Sujata Bhatt Poet Indian Ahmedabad, India