Indira Goswami

Indira Goswami Biography

Indira Goswami known by her pen name Mamoni Raisom Goswami was an Assamese editor, poet, professor, scholar and writer. She was popularly known as Mamoni Baideo. She was the winner of the Sahitya Akademi Award (1983), Jnanpith Award (2001) and Principal Prince Claus Laureate (2008). A celebrated writer of contemporary Assamese whose major works have been translated to English! She was one of the organizers of People's Consultative Group, a peace committee. She has also worked as a mediator between the armed militant group United Liberation Front of Assam and Indian Government. Many of her works have been made feature films as well as stage shows and won many awards as well.

Indira Goswami was born in Guwahati to Umakanta Goswami and Ambika Devi, on 14 November 1942. She has suffered from depression from a younger age as quoted in her biography. She even made repeated suicide attempts at a younger age of 20’s. Her first short stories have been published by Kirti Nath Hazarika when she was studying at school in class 8 and he encouraged her a lot. Later her collection of short stories, Chinaki Morom was published in 1962 when she was a college student.

She got married to Madhaven Raisom Ayengar. After his death in a car accident only eighteen months of marriage, she became addicted to heavy doses of sleeping tablets. It happened in Kashmir. She was brought back to Assam and later she joined the Sainik School of Goalpara as a teacher. From that point on, she concentrated in writing. Her experiences as a widow as well as a researcher were explained through her book The Blue Necked Braja, released in 1976. Her other successful novels include - Chinavar Srota, Dashorothir Khuj, Datal Hatir Une Khowa Howda, Adha Lekha Dastabej and Udaybhanur Choritro. She has also written short stories and poetry.

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Updated: September 17, 2013