Shampa Sinha is a doctor and writer with previous careers in diplomacy and public health. She is best known for her poem

Siesta A ''siesta'' (from Spanish, pronounced and meaning "nap") is a short nap taken in the early afternoon, often after the midday meal. Such a period of sleep is a common tradition in some countries, particularly those in warm-weather zones. Th ...

, which won the First Prize in the Fifth ''National Poetry Competition'' in 1993 organized by

The Poetry Society (India) The Poetry Society (India) was formed in July 1984 at New Delhi as a voluntary association to promote Indian poetry and to look after the interests of Indian Poets. The founding members included the Indian poets Keshav Malik, J P Das, H K Kaul ...

in collaboration with

British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lan ...

Biography

A cultural hybrid, Shampa was born in India but grew up in England, Zambia and Papua New Guinea. After studying economics and law at the University of Tasmania, Australia, she joined the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. After short-term missions as part of the Australian delegation to the United Nations to Bangkok, New York and Geneva, she had a long-term posting in the political and economic section of the Australian Embassy in

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...

. She resigned from the foreign service in 2003 after being awarded the Sasakawa Young Leaders' Scholarship to study at

Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...

's Woodrow Wilson School of International and Public Affairs. After graduating from Princeton, she worked at the

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...

Washington D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...

headquarters before deciding to return to Australia to attend medical school. She currently practices as a doctor in Australia. Throughout her career changes, she has continued to write poetry, short stories, travel articles and, more recently, narrative essays in medicine which have been published in ''100 Words'' (a journal published by the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 col ...

's International Writing Program), ''The Australian'' newspaper, ''Australian Doctor'', the ''Calcutta Statesman'', ''Hektoen International'', the ''Post Courier'' (PNG) and the ''Times'' of Papua New Guinea.

Awards

Shampa won All India Poetry Prize in 1993 for her poem "

". Peter Forbes, Editor, ''Poetry Review'',

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, who was the Chairman of the awarding committee, described her as the best promising young poet in English from India. Shampa Sinha had also won the Special Prize for Young Poet in the Third National Poetry Competition 1991 for her poem ''"The Difference"''.

References

Sources

"Poetry Splash" – Select Indian poems

"She Writes" – ''Shampa Sinha''

"Bucharest and Beyond" – Article in ''The Australian''
* http://www.princeton.edu/~prism/fall04/creative.html * http://www.theaustralian.com.au/life/travel/walking-a-citys-streets-offers-unique-insights-for-the-traveller/news-story/7d33bda8751e211ec9f5234f0d73576b * http://www.theaustralian.com.au/life/travel/teachers-capital-idea-brings-health-clinic-to-a-village/news-story/d3ef1510f492f3bcaa7c67400ad5cd3f * "The World Within Their Heads", essay in From Where I Stand https://www.amazon.com.au/Where-Stand-Essays-General-Practice-ebook/dp/B00GYPFSM0 * "Snakes and Ladders" http://hekint.org/2018/01/29/snakes-and-ladders/ * "Percy's Last Day" https://hekint.org/2018/04/18/percys-last-day/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Sinha, Shampa Australian poets English-language poets from India Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 21st-century Indian women writers 21st-century Indian writers Australian women poets All India Poetry Prize

Biography

Awards

See also

References

Sources