Rajkamal Choudhary (1929–67)

Rajkamal Choudhary (1929–67) was an Indian poet, short story writer, novelist, critic and thinker. He wrote in both Maithili and Hindi and was well-versed in Bengali, having translated Shankar’s Chourangi and Bani Ray’s Chokhe Amar Trishna into Hindi. Choudhary was known as ‘a bold leader of new poetry’ for his experimental style. He was born Manindra Narayan Choudhary in Mahishi, Bihar, and people affectionately called him Phool Babu.

In his short lifespan of less than 38 years, he contributed more than one hundred short stories, several novels and plays, dozens of articles and essays, and hundreds of poems. Choudhary emerged as a monumental writer in his mother tongue, Maithili, as well as in Hindi.

He was one of the most iconic literary figures of his time, a trailblazer, a trendsetter and a visionary whose works resonate even today.