Nissim Ezekiel, Indian Writer Nissim Ezekiel

Nissim Ezekiel’s (1924-2004) name figures prominently among the Indian writing in English writers. As a literary personality he has contributed immensely through his poems and writings.

Life of Nissim Ezekiel

Nissim Ezekiel was born on 16th December 1924 in Mumbai. His father, Moses Ezekiel taught Botany at Wilson College while his mother was a principal of her own school. The family belonged to the ‘Bene Israel’ community, a Marathi- speaking Jewish community in Mumbai.

Ezekiel completed his BA in English literature in 1947 from Wilson College, University of Mumbai and thereafter he taught literature and published several literary articles. Ezekiel then studied philosophy at Birbeck College, London after sailing to England in 1948.

Ezekiel joined The Illustrated Weekly of India in the post of an assistant editor in 1953 where he worked for two years. He has also worked as a broadcaster on art and literature in All India Radio. Nissim Ezekiel married Daisy Jacob in the year 1952.

Literary career of Nissim Ezekiel

In his writing career of poetry, Ezekiel published (1924-2004) his first collection of poetry, The Bad Day in 1952 by Fortune Press. Ezekiel co-founded the literary monthly, Jumpo in 1961 and became the art critic of The Names of India.

He was the head of the department of English from 1961 to 1972 at Mithibai College in Bombay.His next collection of poetry is The Deadly Man in 1960, followed by The Exact Name in 1965. Ezekiel was also a visiting professor at University of Leeds in 1964 and University of Pondicherry in 1967.

Later in 1967 in collaboration with Vrinda Nabar, Ezekiel translated poems of Jawaharlal Nehru from Marathi. One of his famous poems ‘The Night of the Scorpion’ which has a taste of Indianness is included in the course material of schools as well as colleges.

Some of his other well known poems are ‘Goodbye Party For Miss Pushpa T.S., In India, Poet, Lover, Birdwatcher, The Railway Clerk and A Time to Change.