Eminent litterateur Sunil Gangopadhyay passes away at his Kolkata residence

KOLKATA: Eminent litterateur and Sahitya Akademi president Sunil Gangopadhyay died at his South Kolkata residence in the early hours of Tuesday following a massive heart attack.

He was 78. Gangopadhyay's body will be kept in a mortuary till his son arrives from Boston for performing the last rites, family sources said.

A prolific writer and winner of several awards, Gangopadhyay was the founder editor of 'Krittibas', a seminal poetry magazine that became a platform for a new generation of poets experimenting with many new forms.

Author of over 200 books, Gangopadhyay excelled in different genres but declared poetry to be his "first love". His Neera series of poems are popular.

Gangopadhyay also excelled in short story, novels, travelogues and children's fiction.

He had won the Sahitya Akademi Award (1985), Ananda Puraskar `(1989) and the Hindu Literary Prize(2011).

After serving five years as the vice-president, he was elected the president of the Sahitya Akademi on February 20, 2008.

He used the pen-names of Nil Lohit, Sanatan Pathak and Nil Upadhyay.

Gangopadhyay is survived by wife and son.

President condoles Gangopadhyay's death

President Pranab Mukherjee condoled the death of eminent writer Sunil Gangopadhyay.

"Gangopadhyay had enriched Bengali literature through his unique style. He was one of the best intellectuals among his contemporaries. The vacuum created by his death cannot be filled," the President said.