Hungryalist poets of West Bengal are represented by a group of young Bengali poets, who were active participants of a significant movement known as `Hungryalist Movement` that was spearheaded by Malay Roy Choudhury, Debi Roy or `Haradhon Dhara`, Shakti Chattopadhyay, Samir Roy Choudhury, Subimal Basak, Binoy Majumdar and Tasleema Nasreen. This important movement was initiated during the period of the 1960?s in the city of Kolkata in West Bengal, and it was a major Indian literary movement in the Bengali language which was aimed at Bengali poetry. The term ?Hungry? was derived from Geoffrey Chaucer`s line in, `In Sowere Hungry Tyme` and its concept was inspired by Oswald Spengler`s ideas of `Non Linear Time`. It is said to have continued till the year 1965 and was officially launched in November 1961 at the Patna residence of the famous Bengali poet Malay Roy Choudhury and also his elder brother Samir Roy Choudhury.
Malay Roy Choudhury
Malay Roy Choudhury was the founder of Hungryalist Movement and was born on 29th October, 1939 and he rose to fame with his creation `Prachanda Baidyutik Chhutar` or Stark Electric Jesus during 1963 which made the Hungyalists witness administrative hostility. Confessional poetry was introduced by this Bengali poet. This particular poem was opposed to the styles of lyrical poetry like sonnets, minnesang, villanel, pastourelle and more. `Jakham` or Long Poem, `Hungry Andoloner Kavyadarshan` or Hyngryalist Manifesto, `Kabita Sankalan` or Collection of Hungryalist Poems, `Shoytaner Mukh` or Collected Poems, `Ja Lagbey Bolben`, etc. are amongst the innumerable literary creations composed by him.
Shakti Chattopadhyay
Born on 25th November, 1933, Shakti Chattopadhyay was one of the founder members of the Hungryalist Movement, which, however he deserted during 1963 due to differences in opinion with the remaining team members. He had started writing a magazine called `Pragati` and he had also founded the `Pragati Library` in the year 1949. It was a hand-printed magazine which later was transformed into a beautiful printed magazine and its name was altered to `Bahnishikha`. His poem `Yama` had been published in `Kabita`, a literary magazine which used to be supervised and published by Buddhadev Bose.
Subimal Basak
Subimal Basak was amongst the members of the famous Hungryalist movement who was honoured with the Sahitya Academy Award for his translated masterpieces by the Government of India during 2008 and `Alochana Chakra` had felicitated him at Bangla Academy in the year 2009. Some of his celebrated literary works include `Biyar Geet O Dhakai Chhora` or Collection of Folk Songs, `Guerilla Aakrosh` or Short Stories, `Habijabi` or poems, `Ajatha Khitkal` or Short Stories, `Chhatamatha` which was a novel, `Atmar Shanti Du Minit` or Short Stories and many others.
Samir Roy Choudhury
Born at Panihati in West Bengal, Samir Roy Choudhury was amongst the significant founders of the Hyngryalist Movement and his very first collection of poems was `Jharnar Pashe Shuye Aachhi` or Sleeping Beside a Waterfall, after which he had written a collection of poems known as `Aamar Vietnam`, which however is not associated to Vietnam. Samir Roy Choudhury is considered to be one of the greatest poets amongst the other founding members of the Movement and `Janowar`, which was his third collection of poems were published after ten years of publishing of Aamar Vietnam.
Binoy Majumdar
The poet Binoy Majumdar was born on 17th September, 1934 and received the Sahitya Akademi Award in the year 2005, The period between 1958 till 1962 witnessed the golden age of this renowned Bengali poet, whose poems like `Phire Esho, Chaka`, `Adhikantu` or Excessive, `Nakshatrer Aaloy` or In the Light of the Stars, `Eeshwariyo` or Godly, `Balmikir Kabita` or The Poetry of Balmiki, `Aghraaner Anubhutimala` or the emotions of the month of `Aghran` and a series of other impressive poems. Several other awards were offered to him which involved `Krittibas Puraskar`, `Sudhundranath Dutta Puraskar` and Rabindra Puraskar.
Tasleema Nasreen
Tasleema Nasreen is a reputed, controversial Bengali author, poet and novelist whose literary creations were characterised by a strong feminist approach. She was born on 25th August 1962 and was exiled since the year 1994. She had edited a poetry journal called `Shenjuti` or Light in the Dark` while she was studying in her college. During the 1990`s she had composed four novels and a series of essays prior to the publication of her novel `Lajja` or Shame which speaks about a Hindu family which was slayed by Muslims. `Nirbashito Bahire Ontore` was her second collection which implies Banished within and without, and it had been published in the year 1989. She has been praised for numerous books, poems, novels, essays, short stories, memoirs which have been translated in as many as 20 language. She is the recipient of numerable awards like Humanist Award from Human-Etisk Forbund, Norway, 1994, Human Rights Award from the Government of France in 1994, Ananda Literary Award, India in 1992, Natyasava Award, Bangladesh, 1992 and many more such awards.