Draft:Abhijit Bera

Abhijit Bera (Bengali: অভিজিৎ বেরা; born 1976) is an Indian poet and editor. Abhijit writes in Bengali and is considered one of the prominent new faces of Bengali poetry of his generation. He was awarded the Krittibas Puraskar in 2017 by the Krittibas Patrika.

He is also the recipient of first Yapanchitra Puraskar in 2023 by the Yapanchitra Patrika edited by Prabal Kumar Basu.

He received the Banalata Puraskar in 2018.

He has been one of the editors of Krrittibas Patrika since 2019. He has also been an editor of Anyo Bartika Patrika. Abhijit is translator of poems of Maitrayee Patar from the original assamese language into Bengali which is published in Bhashanagar Patrika edited by Subodh Sarkar. Born at Contai, East Midnapur, a coastal District of West Bengal, Abhijit now resides in Kolkata, India.

Career
His first work was "Nihato Antyesti" (The Dead Funeral) (2012, Krittibas Prakashani) published by Sunil Gangopadhyay. This was followed by"Karnivaler Pakhiguli" (Carnival Birds) (2016, Signet Press). He won the “Sunil Gangopadhyay Memorial Krittibas Literary Award” in 2017 for this book. It is a book written in simple language on fragmented and apparently insignificant matters but succeed to create fable of a mystic world in the mind of the readers. Poetry which itself is a carnival; the birds of the lines of the poems are flying high freely in this particular volume of book. Abhijit authored his next book in 2017, "Godzilaar Nijoswo Itihaas" (Godzila’s Own History, Signet Press).This gives him critical recognition in the field of Bengali poetry and brought him Banalata Puraskar in 2018.

He published another collection of poems,"Buno Strwaberry aar Ghorar mangsho" (Wild Strwaberry and Horse Flesh)( Signet Press, 2020). He was awarded first “Debkumar Basu Memorial Yapanchitra Kabita Samman” for outstanding contribution to Bengali poetry by Yapanchitra Patrika edited by Prabal Kumar Basu in 2023. The award note describes his poetry as distinct, sublime and unparalleled. It has created a parallel world amidst the backdrop of contemporary social and political scenario in the form of satire.

His writings have been appeared in several publications, online and in print, including The Signpost, London, Miletus, USA, The Prachya Review, Bangladesh, Gard Siir Dergisi, Turkey, The Antonym , The Anaadabazar Patrika , Desh Patrika , The Wall, India and others. His works have been translated into Russian, Turkish, English, Hindi and Asamese language.

Abhijit was invited to participate in 150th birth Anniversary Celebration of Gandhi by India’s National Academy of Letters, Book Fair organised by Bangladesh, The International Kala Ghoda Art Festival, Mumbai among others.

He has been one of the editors of Krittibas Patrika since 2019. It is the second longest living poetry magazine in any languages in the world after the famous Poetry magazine. He has been also an editor of Anyo Bartika Patrika for quite few times. He has co-edited Baisher Kobitagucchho, a collection of Bengali poetry published during 2023 by The Antonym.

Abhijit has collaborated with Maitrayee Patar in a translation retreat at Kolkata Poetry Confluence, 2023 and translated her poems from the original Assamese language into Bengali which is published in Bhashanagar Patrika edited by Subodh Sarkar.

Abhijit also directed a short film titled Pipe Dreamz in 2014 which got critical acclamation in film festival circuits in India including Kala Ghoda Art Festival, Mumbai

Poetry

 * Nihato Antyesti; Krittibas Prakashani (2012)
 * Karnivaler Pakhiguli; Signet Press, Ananada Publishers Pvt Ltd (2016)ISBN 9789350406403
 * Godzilar Nijaswo Itihas; Signet Press, Ananada Publishers Pvt Ltd (2017)ISBN 9789350407943
 * Buno Strawberry aar Ghorar Mangsho; Signet Press, (2020) ISBN 9789388870788

Editor

 * Krittibas Magazine
 * Anyo Bartika Magazine
 * Baisher Kobitaguccho-Anthology of Bengali Poems.ISBN 9788196395940

Director

 * Pipe Dreamz –short film (2014)

Awards

 * Krittibas Award(2017)
 * Yapanchitra Purashkar (2023)

Education
Abhijit studied Mechanical Engineering at Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology,Nagpur,then known as VRCE,Nagpur, from 1993 to 1998.

Profession
Abhijit is working as Joint Commissioner of Revenue under Finance Department, Government of West Bengal, India.