Mallika Sengupta was born on 27 March 1960. She was a Bengali poet, feminist, and reader of Sociology from Kolkata, known for her unapologetically political poetry. She was the head of the Department of Sociology at Maharani Kasiswari College, an undergraduate college affiliated with the University of Calcutta in Kolkata. She was much better known for her literary activity. The author of more than 20 books including 14 volumes of poetry and two novels, she was widely translated and was a frequent invitee at international literary festivals. English translations of her work have appeared in various Indian and American anthologies. In addition to teaching, editing, and writing, she was actively involved with the cause of gender justice and other social issues. A victim of breast cancer, she was under treatment since October 2005 and died on 28 May 2011.