Sujata Bhatt Age, Wiki and Bio

Sujata Bhatt

Quick Info

ProfessionPoet
NationalityIndian
Date of Birth06/05/1956
Age68 years
BirthplaceAhmedabad, India
HometownPune, Maharashtra
Marital StatusMarried

Physical Stats & More

Eye ColorBlack
Hair ColorBlack

Educational Qualification(s)

SchoolSt. 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

Personal Life

Date of Birth06/05/1956
BirthplaceAhmedabad, India
Zodiac signTaurus
ReligionHonours all religions
Food HabitNon-vegetarian

Relationships & More

Marital StatusMarried
Marriage Date1988

Family

FatherName Not Known (Scientist)
MotherName Not Known (Homemaker)
Siblings
Brother1
SisterNone
SpouseMichael Augustin (German writer)
Children
SonNone
Daughter1
Other Relatives
Paternal GrandfatherNanabhai Bhatt (educationist)

Career

First BookBrunizem (1987)
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.
Notable Works
  • Brunizem (1988)
  • Point No Point (1997)
  • Augatora (2000)
  • Monkey Shadows (1991)
  • The Colour of 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.

Some Lesser Known Facts

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