Odia poet, translator Subhendu Mund dies at 70

BHUBANESWAR: Renowned Odia poet, translator and lexicographer Subhendu Mund died of cardiac arrest here on Friday. He was 70.
He was immediately taken to a private hospital after he complained of chest pain and lost his consciousness. However, he could not be revived, his family members said. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik and Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, among many others, expressed grief at the passing away of Subhendu. “Pray to God for the departed soul and offer my condolences to the bereaved family,” part of the tweet by Naveen read.
Subhendu leaves behind his wife Pranati, two sons and a daughter. Subhendu, a native of Kalahandi district, started his teaching career as an English lecturer in 1973 and retired as the principal of BJB Autonomous College in 2009. A scholar of Indian English literature, he was a visiting professor at the School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Management in IIT Bhubaneswar.
He obtained his bachelor’s degree from Berhampur University, Master’s from Sambalpur University, pursued his PhD at Utkal University besides Aberdeen University, Scotland.
Subhendu was associated with numerous literary and academic institutions. He was the chief editor of the Indian Journal of World Literature and Culture, vice-president of the Indian Association for Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies and chairman of the Association for Studies in Literature and Culture.
A creative writer, he published many works of translations, critical essays and book reviews as well as books in Odia and English. He has 40 books and 100 research papers to his credit.
One of his works has been translated to Kannada. His anthology of Odia poems, Shabda Nishabda, Muhurtatie Mohini! and Swapnabarta are widely read. He was a co-compiler of Sambalpuri Odia Shabdakosha.
A simple boy from remote Kalahandi, Subhendu went on to make a name for himself in the world of early Indian writings in English.
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