Teaching Research Associate at Anna University Chennai; Writer/Poet/Translator/Activist
Madras Area, India
- Current
-
- Teaching Research Associate at College of Engineering, Guindy, Anna University
- Contributing Editor, Dalit Literature at Muse India
- Ph.D. research scholar at Anna University
- Past
-
- Editor, The Dalit at Dalit Media Network
- Education
-
- Anna University
- University of Madras
- University of Madras
- Kendriya Vidyalaya
- Connections
-
81
connections
- Industry
- Writing and Editing
- Websites
Meena Kandasamy’s Summary
Meena Kandasamy (1984) is an Indian-born poet, writer and translator. Her debut poetry collection, Touch, with a foreword by Kamala Das, was published in August 2006. Two of her poems, Mascara, and My Lover Speaks of Rape, have won first prizes in all-India poetry competitions. Her poetry has been published in various journals, including The Little Magazine, Kavya Bharati, Carapace, Indian Literature, Poetry International Web and the Quarterly Literary Review, Singapore.
She edited The Dalit, a bi-monthly alternative English magazine that reflected the voice of Dalits (India's ex-untouchables) in its first year of publication from 2001 to 2002. Her essays have been published in The Hindu Literary Review, Tehelka, Communalism Combat and Biblio. Her work as the editor of a Dalit magazine and her association with the Liberation Panthers (a militant activist Dalit organisation) has honed her awareness of what it means to be a woman in a caste-ridden nation. Significant among her dozen translations are the writings and speeches of Liberation Panthers leader Thol. Thirumavalavan (Talisman: Extreme Emotions of Dalit Liberation (2003) and Uproot Hindutva: The Fiery Voice of the Liberation Panthers (2004)). She has also translated the poetry and fables of Kasi Anandan, the poet laureate of Tamil Eelam.
She was one of the 21 woman writers from South Asia whose short-stories were selected for 21 under 40: New Fiction for a New Generation, the Zubaan Anthology of Young Women Writing (February 2007).
She served on the three-member jury of the One Billion Eyes Documentary Film Festival held in August 2007 on the theme of Caste. She was one of the 25 participating poets in Poetry with Prakriti, a poetry festival organized by the Prakriti Foundation in December 2007.
She is presently revising her first novel The Gypsy Goddess. Sbe teaches English at Anna University, Chennai.
Meena Kandasamy’s Specialties:
Writing, poetry, journalism and alternative media, translation, subtitling and interpretation, editing and publishing, research and teaching
Meena Kandasamy’s Experience
-
Teaching Research Associate
College of Engineering, Guindy, Anna University
(Research industry)
August 2008 — Present (1 year 4 months)
Involved in teaching Technical English and Communication Skills to Engineering graduates
Engaged in research in ELT on the impact of classroom dynamics and culture on language learning. -
Contributing Editor, Dalit Literature
Muse India
(Publishing industry)
July 2006 — Present (3 years 5 months)
I was in charge of putting together special issues of Tamil, Telugu and Gujarati Dalit literature. I also served on the jury for a short-story competition conducted by Muse India. I give editorial advice and solicit submissions related to Dalit literature.
-
Ph.D. research scholar
Anna University
(Research industry)
June 2006 — Present (3 years 6 months)
-
Editor, The Dalit
Dalit Media Network
(Newspapers industry)
January 2002 — August 2002 (8 months)
I edited The Dalit, an English bimonthly alternative magazine published by the Dalit Media Network (DMN), Chennai. DMN was run by the Social Action Movement.
Meena Kandasamy’s Education
-
Anna University
Ph.D. , English Language Teaching, Sociolinguistics, Translation theory, Gender, Applied Linguistics , 2006 — 2009
-
University of Madras
M.A. , English Literature , 2004 — 2006
-
University of Madras
B.A. , English Literature , 2001 — 2004
-
Kendriya Vidyalaya
+2 , English, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Computer Science , 1989 — 2001
- Activities and Societies:
- Cultural Secretary in my school-leaving year, Debate, drama and Quiz teams
Additional Information
Meena Kandasamy’s Websites:
Meena Kandasamy’s Interests:
Poetry, Fiction, Alternative Media, Dalit Activism, Feminism, Human Rights, Translation, Politics, Publishing, Research, Teaching, Volunteering, Health, HIV/AIDS
Meena Kandasamy’s Groups:
-
Caferati
Meena Kandasamy’s Contact Settings
Interested In:
- career opportunities
- consulting offers
- new ventures
- expertise requests
- reference requests
- getting back in touch
