AT A GLANCE
Mamatha Sagar, PhD
Area of Practice:
OVERVIEW
Mamta Sagar is a poet, writer, academic and translator writing in Kannada language. Her doctoral work in Comparative Literature from University of Hyderabad is titled as “Gender, Patriarchy and Resistance: Contemporary Women’s Poetry in Kannada and Hindi (1980-2000)”. Dr. Sagar has worked with Hyderabad Central University and Bangalore University and has taught Comparative Literature, Translation Studies, Kannada Literature, Feminism, Postcolonial and Cultural Studies. She was the Charles Wallace India Trust Fellow for the year 2015 University of East Anglia, UK (2015). Mamta has four collections of poems, “Hide & Seek”, a collection of selected poems in English with the source text in Kannada 2014, “Hiige Haaleya Maile Haadu” 2007, “Nadiya Neerina Teiva” 1999, “Kaada Navilina Hejje” 1992, four plays, an anthology of column writing, a collection of critical essays in Kannada and English on gender, language, literature and culture, Beyond Barriers: Slovenian-Kannada Literature Interactions (Translation) published by Centre for Slovenian Literature, Ljubljana 2011, and three poetry films and a book titled INTERVERSIONS, produced with Srishti Films as part of the Wales-India (2018). She was conferred with Bhasha Bharathi Translation award for Preetiya Nalavattu NiyamagaLu, translation of Elif Shafak’s novel into Kannada (2017). Art-Poetry installation project developed and co-curated by Mamta was on display at the Piccolo Museo della Poesia, Italy 2020. She worked on a yearlong (2023-24) Project-560 of IFA. She is conferred with the prestigious International World Organization of Writers ‘World Literary Prize’ 2024. Dr. Mamta Sagar is the Head of Studies, Creative Writing Programme at the SMI, Bengaluru.
EDUCATION
Ph.D in Comparative Literature awarded by Hyderabad Central University, 2004. MA Kannada (Comparative Literature), Bangalore University, 1989. BA (Journalism, Psychology, Literature), Bangalore University, 1987
WORK EXPERIENCE
Presently teaching at Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology.
Joined Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology since 15 September 2016.
Assistant Professor at the Centre for Kannada Studies, Jnana Bharati Campus, Bangalore University, Bangalore, 2007- Aug 2016.
Project Fellow, UGC-DRS-SAP Project, English in India: Documents for its Study, English Department, University of Hyderabad, March-Sept 2006.
Guest Faculty, Centre for Comparative Literature, University of Hyderabad, 2003.
Taught Kannada language/literature, Indian literature, Women Writing in India, Gender Studies, Dalit Literature, Literature of the Marginal and Comparative Literature for the graduate and postgraduate students and the foreign students attending Study India Programs at University of Hyderabad.
Columnist, Vijaya Karnataka a Kannada News Paper. Weekly column ‘Ilii Salluva Maathu’ appeared from 10, Mar 2003 to 30, Sept 2003.
Reporter, Indian Express, August 1996 – February 1997
Freelancer for ‘The Hindu’, Hyderabad edition as Art and Theatre critic and as feature writer for the ‘LIFE PAGE’ with ‘Business Line’, 1993-96
Research scholar, Kannada University, Hampi, 1991 – 93
Consultant for voluntary organisations CWC and MAYA, Bangalore, involved with women-oriented issues and eradication of child labor 1989 – 91
Lecturer, NMKRV College, Bangalore July-Sept 1990
Lecturer, BMS College, Bangalore, Dec 1989 – Feb 1990
INTEREST AREAS
Mamta Sagar’s research areas are Comparative Literature, Translation Studies and Postcolonial Studies. She has mentored doctoral scholars working in the areas of Comparative Literature, Translation Studies, Feminism, Postcolonial and Cultural Studies, Nationalism and Identity politics, Literary Histories, Literature and Literary expressions, Women’s Writing in India, Kannada Literature, Poetry and Performance. Appointed as Jury and examiner at Doctoral level, PG & UG. Her interests include interdisciplinary engagements. Mamta’s writings focus on identity politics, feminism, issues around linguistic and cultural diversities. Her critical publications include,
‘Marching for Communal Harmony and Peace’, Portside Review, Northbridge WA, UK Dec 2022
‘Compassion is the core of Dharma’, Issue 100, Muse India the literary ejournal 2021
A decade long Kannada literary sensibilities experienced through translations, Editorial, Issue 96, March-April 2021 Muse India the literary ejournal 2021
Bent Bodies Dead Insects and Old Leaves, Lockdown Diaries, Art India art news magazine of India, Vol 24 Issue 2 Quarter 2. Mumbai 2021.
Surely The Holy One is (not) Deaf, Artistic Forum Vol III – Interdisciplinary Scientific Year Book (2020), University of Warmia, Poland 2020.
‘Socio-political Junctures of Poetry and Translation – The Indian Context’, a keynote address for the International Poetry Translation Symposium at the School Of Asian and African Studies (SOAS), University of London 2019.
Three poetry films titled INTERVERSIONS I, II & III, produced with Srishti Films as part of the Wales-India collaborative projects (2018)
Catalogue for the National exhibition, ‘Women artists 94’, organised by Society for Promotion of Art, Hyderabad, 1994.
CURRENT PRACTICE AT SRISHTI
Dr. Mamta Sagar currently teaches Contemporary Art Practice at the post-graduation and Creative Writing at the under-graduation levels at SMI. Her approach to teaching is in the form of an interdisciplinary engagement involving literary studies, new media art and Contemporary Art Practice. Historical, socio-political and cultural responses are foregrounded in her courses. Multilingual and multicultural praxis is encouraged. Students are equipped to sensitively understand nuances of gender, race, caste, class, religious, linguistic, and regional discrepancies. Postcolonial, feminist and translation studies lenses are proposed as part of the courses offered. Site specific, community oriented, public space engagements are imbibed into the courses with an interdisciplinary approach. Bengaluru Narratives, Market Memories, Water Stories, Vachana Walk, Revisiting Manto, Poetry and Nationalism are some of the courses offered at the SMI by Mamta in recent years. She offers Studios, Workshops, General Studies and Interim courses for the UG along with Contemporary Art Practice and Transdisciplinary Research for PG at the SMI. She mentors research scholars working on their doctoral programme at the SMI. Her text and visual works in collaboration with students are on display at the Cubbon Park and Chikkapete Metro Stations. As one of the curators she has lead the performance interim at the National School of Drama Bengaluru and the Festival of Stories an event of the Art in Transit project of the Srishti Institute. ‘WORDS’, the text mural and a site specific ‘Brick Installation’, from her interim 2023 course REFLECTIONS are installed on the SMI, MAHE Bengaluru campus premises.
TEACHING PORTFOLIO
Interdisciplinary engagement through Creative Writing, Translation, Critical Analysis, New media art, Poetry and Performance
CREATIVE PRACTICE & OUTREACH
Mamta Sagar is actively involved with international poetry translation projects like Literature Across Frontiers, Poets Translating Poets and Melding Voices etc. Her writings focus on identity politics, feminism, issues around linguistic and cultural diversities. Mamta has facilitated poetry and translation workshops internationally at Manchester, London, Wales, Finland, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and in India. She has curated Namma Ooru, Namma Neeru (Water Stories) a Kaavya Sanje poetry performance, 2021. Art-Poetry installation project developed and co-curated by Mamta is on display at the Piccolo Museo della Poesia, (Little Museum of Poetry), Italy, 2020. Dakshin Dhvani – Voicing the South, poetry and performance tour by three poets from South India curated by Mamta Sagar, Delhi 2020. Karnad Utsava, Festival of Performance, a Srishti event in collaboration with National School of Drama, Bengaluru 2019. Bengaluru Narratives: The People Place Project, Cubbon Park Metro Station, Bengaluru, 2018. She has been the festival Director for the Kaavya Sanje Poetry Festival, Bengaluru 2023, Tumari Literature Festival, 2018. PAMPA Literature Festival Chengannur, India 2018, 2020, 2021. She is the founder of Kaavya Sanje the community multilingual poetry engagement and has curated events for Kaavya Sanje since 2013. Her poetry installations and performance are showcased at international Art and Poetry festivals. Her poems are published in international literary journals like; HERRI Issue #3, South Africa. 2021, THE DHAKA REVIEW, Bangladesh 2021, Bangladesh 2021, POEZIA Annual Summer Issue XXVI, Rumania 2021. Mamta is the contributing Editor, ‘Muse India’ and facilitates poetry and translation workshops in India and abroad.
