Acclaimed children's author Subhadra Sen Gupta dies of COVID-19, condolences pour in

Well-known author and and the 2015 winner of the Sahitya Akademi's Bal Sahitya Puraskar, Subhadra Sen Gupta passed away on May 3 due to COVID-19. Her cousin Shuddhabrata Sengupta, artist and curator, Raqs Media Collective took to her Facebook handle to share the news.

"My cousin, Subhadra Sen Gupta, ‘Bul-di’ to all who knew her, beloved writer of historical fiction and history for children and young readers - who many waves of kids across India adored for how she made history come alive for them with her books, passed away last night due to Covid 19. She fought the disease bravely. Gone with her is her remarkable sense of how the past remains alive, as story, as history, as memory," the note read.

"She was the archivist of our Sengupta family, and it’s more than one-hundred-year-old presence in Old Delhi. She knew the ins and outs of our eccentric ancestors. I learnt how to look for clues, like a detective, from her, and how to cherish and share a good story. She taught me many precious things. I will miss her completely zany sense of humor, her endless treasure of stories, her no-nonsense spirit, her love for Delhi, and her passion for life, for history, for freedom, and for adventure. I will miss her. My heart goes out to her sister, Sushmita, our ‘Cchor-di’. This is a very, very sad day," Shuddhabrata Sengupta further wrote.

Subhadra Sen Gupta wrote over 50 children's books in different genres. Some of her works include Goodbye Pasha Begum! from The Puffin Book of Spooky Ghost Stories, Bishnu - The Dhobi Singer, and A Mauryan Adventure. Her book, Mystery of the House of Pigeons, was adapted into a television series for Doordarshan as Khoj Khazana Khojher. 

Condolences Pour in

We're extremely heartbroken at the demise of one of our well-loved children's authors, Subhadra Sen Gupta. The gap she's left in the world of children's literature would be hard to fill. She will live on through her stories for times to come. pic.twitter.com/qR4g2gB6wV

— Penguin India (@PenguinIndia) May 4, 2021

Subhadra Sen Gupta, you were one of our first donors and partners in crime. Your books are beloved by our children. Your presence is stamped everywhere in our organisation. We don’t know how to bear this unbearable loss. Goodbye dear friend and comrade. We love you so much. pic.twitter.com/KUB0IRmARL

— The Community Library Project (@CommunityLibPro) May 4, 2021

Today we lost a brilliant writer to the scourge of #covid. Subhadra Sen Gupta opened up the beauty of Indian history to children with her incredible work and its effects will echo for hundreds of years to come in the generations ahead. Rest in peace, Subhadra.We lost you too soon pic.twitter.com/U8nu8nMhwU

— juggernautbooks (@juggernautbooks) May 4, 2021

Absolutely gutted with the news of Subhadra Sen Gupta's passing. She was truly one-of-a-kind, a rare gem. She leaves behind an incredible legacy...

— Tanu D (@TDogra) May 4, 2021

We are deeply saddened to lose Subhadra Sen Gupta. Our hearts are full of grief with this untimely loss.

But Subhadra will live forever through memories and books. A reader's magician never dies. pic.twitter.com/hxMy767Qql

— ParagReads (@ParagReads) May 4, 2021