Dr. Kamala Das (Madhavikutty) the internationally renowned poet, short story writer and novelist was born in 1932 at Punnayoorkulam in Kerala. She is one of the very few writers from Kerala who writes effortlessly both in English and Malayalam, yet maintaining high standards in both. One of the most influential feminist writers of our times, her language exhibits liveliness and imaginative suggestions.

She started writing in Malayalam under the pen name, Madhavikutty as early as in the 50`s. But she became famous in the Malayalam literary world with her work `Ente Katha` (My Story), which is said to be her real life story. `Ente Katha` was translated to more than 15 Foreign Languages. She is a very open and self-righteous woman and portrays human emotion, love and lust in her works. Her works have originality in their content and style.

She has received many awards for her literary contribution. Some of them are; Asian Poetry Prize for her work `The Sirens`, Kent Award for English Writing from Asian Countries for `Summer in Calcutta`, Asan World Prize, Sahitya Academy Award for `Collected Poems` in English, Vayalar Rama Varma Sahitya Award, Kerala Sahitya Academy Award for best short story "Thanuppu". She has also held coveted positions as Vice chair person in Kerala Sahitya academy, chairperson in Kerala forestry Board and worked as editors in Poet magazine and Illustrated Weekly of India. Often criticized for her openness and her reluctance to live according to the societies norms, the latest controversy is her recent conversion to Islam. Her new name is Dr. Kamala Suraiyya. She has also established a political party of her own named Lok Seva charitable trust, to concentrate on humanitarian work as well as to provide asylum to orphaned mothers.

Kamala Das, pioneer in modern feminist poetry, speaks of her "endless female hungers" in her iconoclastic poetry. Das has exhibited a unique courage and frankness in exposing the urges of flesh in her poetry and prose. Confession of her sexual experiences displays her candidness in being true to herself and denying masks.

Love and sexual cravings are the pervasive themes with Indian women writers from the time of the Vedas. There is no denying the fact that Das`s treatment of these issues surpasses that of her predecessors and contemporaries. Das, with outspokenness and unflinching honesty, deals with various facets of love. Like the medieval Sahaja poets, she advocates free love/sex as an instrument of self-discovery. Das declares sex as the only plausible substitute for real love. Her hypothesis is that a woman`s craving for real love can be fulfilled in physical union with a man.