Poet, novelist, short story writer, editor, and public intellectual, Sunil Gangopadhyay (1934–2012) was the most visible and, arguably, the most influential writer and poet of his generation in Bengali literature. He was the founding editor of Krittibas, a magazine of poetry. He was the author of over 200 works of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. He was the creator of the popular fictional character Kakababu, who features in his writing for children. He was awarded the Ananda Puraskar and the Sahitya Akademi Award.