Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih

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Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih
Born (1964-04-04) 4 April 1964 (age 61)
OccupationPoet, novelist, writer
LanguageKhasi, English
Notable works
  • Funeral Nights
  • The Distaste of the Earth
  • The Yearning of Seeds
  • Time's Barter: Haiku and Senryu
  • Around the Hearth

Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih (born 4 April 1964) is an Indian poet, novelist and writer. Born and brought up in Sohra (aka Cherrapunjee) but living in Shillong, he writes in two languages: Khasi and English.[1]

He is a faculty member at North-Eastern Hill University in Shillong, India.[2] His debut novel Funeral Nights was published in 2021.[3][4] He was awarded the Shakti Bhatt Prize in 2024 for his body of work.[5]

Reception

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The Guardian called Nongkynrih's novel Funeral Nights "an enchanting and revealing epic ensemble", adding that "reading it feels like being exposed to the warmth of the fire, listening in on an honest conversation between friends."[3]

The Conversation Australia nominated his second novel,The Distaste of the Earth, as one of the Best Books of 2024 and praised its "Aesop-like vision of our contemporary moment" and described it as "Part poetry, part philosophy and part critique".[6]

Works

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|His fictional works in English and Khasi include Funeral Nights (2021),[7][8] The Distaste of the Earth (2024),[9] Around the Hearth: Khasi Legends (2007),[10] U Sier Lapalang: A Khasi Tale (2005)[11] and Ki Kyrwoh: Ki Khana Phawer (A Collection of Moral Stories) (2015)[12]

|His plays in English and Khasi include Manik, A Play in Five Acts (2018),[13] Ki Miet ka Jingtriem: Ka Sawangka ha ki Lai Bynta (2011) [14] and Ka Jingngiew Ka Mynsiem Briew: Ka Sawangka ha ki Lai Bynta (2022) [15] | Manik was published in Hindi by Setu Prakashan as Manik Raitong: Paanch Akt ke Natak (2023) [16] |His Khasi play Ki Miet ka Jingtriem (Nights of Terror) was adapted into a film and serialised by Doordarshan Kendra Shillong (2020)[17]

|Among his poetry collections in English and Khasi are Moments (1992),[18] The Sieve: Love Poems (1992),[19] The Yearning of Seeds (2011),[20] Time's Barter: Haiku and Senryu (2015),[20] Ka Samoi jong ka Lyer (The Season of the Wind) (2002),[21] Ki Mawsiang ka Sohra (The Ancient Rocks of Cherra) (2002),[22] Ki Jingkynmaw (Remembrances) (2002)[23] and Ka Jingshai ha ka Miet (Light in the Night) (2023)[24] |The The Yearning of Seeds was translated into Bengali as Jibanta Shikarer Setu by the Translation Department of Calcutta University (Calcutta University, 2023)[25]

|He also has several nonfictional works in English and Khasi, including Hiraeth and the Poetry of Soso Tham: A Study of the Great Unconventional Elegy and the Poetry of the Khasi National Bard (2011),[26] Ban Sngewthuh ia ka Poitri (Understanding Poetry) (1998)[27] and Ka Pyrkhat Niam ki Khanatang (Sacred Myths and the Religious Content) (2011)[28]

|His most notable coedited works are Anthology of Contemporary Poetry from the Northeast (2003),[1] Dancing Earth: An Anthology of Poetry from North-East India (2009),[29] Late-Blooming Cherries: Haiku Poetry from India (2024)[20] and Lapbah: Stories from the Northeast (Vols I & II, 2025)[10]

|*|Nigel Jenkins described his poetry as 'an exuberant, liberating, "sad and happy" conflation of social satirist, political sleuth and whistle-blower, hymnist of embattled nature, love poet and people’s remembrancer.'[30]

Awards

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  • Veer Shankar Shah Raghunath Shah National Tribal Award (From the Madhya Pradesh Government, 2008) [31]
  • The Bangalore Review June Jazz Award (2021)[32]
  • SPARROW Literary Award (2022) [33]
  • Shakti Bhatt Prize (2024)[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih". Poetry International. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  2. ^ "Faculty profile: K. S. Nongkynrih". North-Eastern Hill University. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Funeral Nights by Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih review – an ode to storytelling". The Guardian. 17 July 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  4. ^ "Book review: Kynpham's Funeral Nights is an unconventional novel about the Khasis". The Wire. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  5. ^ a b "Fabulist writer Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih wins Shakti Bhatt award". The Indian Express. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  6. ^ name=TCA>"Best Books of 2024: our experts share their standout reads". The Conversation Australia. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  7. ^ "Author Page: Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih". And Other Stories Publishers. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  8. ^ "Funeral Nights by Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih review – an ode to storytelling". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  9. ^ "The Distaste of the Earth Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih". Penguin India. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  10. ^ a b "Author page: Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih". Penguin India. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  11. ^ "U Sier Lapalang: Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih". Katha. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  12. ^ "Ki Kyrwoh: Ki Khana Phawer: Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih". North-Eastern Hill University Library. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  13. ^ "Manik: A Play in Five Acts: Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih". Northeast Reads. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  14. ^ "North-Eastern Hill University Library: Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih". North-Eastern Hill University Library. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  15. ^ "North-Ka Jingngiew Ka Mynsiem Briew: Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih" (PDF). Jaintia Eastern College. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  16. ^ "Manik Raitong: Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih". Setu Prakashan. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  17. ^ "Ki Miet ka Jingtriem: Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih". DD Meghalaya Official. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  18. ^ "Google Books: Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih". Google Books. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  19. ^ "Google Books: Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih". Google Books. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  20. ^ a b c "Author page: Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih". HarperCollins Publishers India. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  21. ^ "Internet Archive: Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih" (PDF). Internet Archive. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  22. ^ "Speak Your Roots: Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih". Speak Your Roots. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  23. ^ "Internet Archive: Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih". Internet Archive. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  24. ^ "Google Books: Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih". Google Books. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  25. ^ "Jibanta Shikarer Setu: Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih". Calcutta Comparatists 1919. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  26. ^ "Hiraeth and the Poetry of Soso Tham: Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih". North-Eastern Hill University Library. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  27. ^ "Internet Archive: Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih". Internet Archive. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  28. ^ "Ka Pyrkhat Niam ki Khanatang: Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih". New York Public Library. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  29. ^ "Google Books: Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih". Google Books. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  30. ^ name="HCPI">"The Yearning Of Seeds:Poems: Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih". HarperCollins Publishers India. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  31. ^ "Khasi writer wins Madhya Pradesh's first national award". Oneindia. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  32. ^ "June Jazz & 8 years of TBR: Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih". The Bangalore Review. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  33. ^ "SPARROW-R. Thyagarajan Literary Award 2022". Meghalaya Monitor. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
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