Kusumagraj
Vishnū Vāman Shirwādkar (27 February 1912 – 10 March 1999), popularly known by his pen name, Kusumāgraj, was a Marathi poet, playwright, novelist and short story writer, who wrote of freedom, justice and emancipation of the deprived.
Kusumāgraj Vishnū Vāman Shirwādkar विष्णू वामन शिरवाडकर | |
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Portrait of Kusumagraj | |
| Born | 27 February 1912 Pune, |
| Died | 10 March 1999 (aged 87) |
| Nationality | • British India (1912-1947) • India (1947-1999) |
| Occupation(s) | Poet, playwright, novelist, short story writer, humanist |
| Notable work | Vishakha Natsamrat |
| Awards | Sahitya Akademi Award (1974) Jnanpith Award (1987) Padma Bhushan (1991) |
| Website | kusumagraj |
In a career spanning five decades starting in India's pre-independence era, he wrote 16 volumes of poems, three novels, eight volumes of short stories, seven volumes of essays, 18 plays and six one-act plays. His works like the Vishakha (1942), a collection of lyrics, inspired a generation into the Indian freedom movement, and is today considered one of the masterpieces of Indian literature.
He was the recipient of the 1974 Sahitya Akademi Award in Marathi for Natsamrat, Padma Bhushan (1991) and the Jnanapith Award in 1987.
He also served as the President of the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan held at Margao in 1964.