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{{Short description|Indian writer (born 1945)}}
{{BLP one source|date=January 2026}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Sheela Kolambkar
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name = Sheela Naik
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1945|3|11|df=y}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| occupation = Writer, translator, teacher
| education = BA (Hons), [[University of Mumbai|Bombay University]]
| genre = Short story, essay, character sketches, children's literature, travelogue
| notable_works = ''Oli Saanj'', ''Bhuim Chanfim'', ''Guerra''
| spouse = Tukaram Kolambkar
| awards = [[Sahitya Akademi Award]] (1997){{br}}[[Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize]] (2007)
}}

'''Sheela Kolambkar''' (born '''Sheela Naik'''; 11 March 1945) is an Indian writer and translator predominantly known for her work in the [[Konkani language]]. She is a recipient of the [[Sahitya Akademi Award]] and has been a significant figure in modern Konkani literature since her debut in the early 1970s.

==Early life and education==
Sheela Kolambkar was born on 11 March 1945. She completed her schooling and higher education in [[Panaji]], Goa, graduating with a BA (Hons) from [[University of Mumbai|Bombay University]] in 1965. During her college years, she was inspired by her professor, S. Nadkarni, and the noted scholar and [[Jnanpith Award]] winner [[Ravindra Kelekar]]. She discovered that writing in Konkani was the most effective way for her to express her creative feelings.<ref name="SahityaAkademiIntro">{{cite report |last= |first= |date=27 August 2015 |title=Meet the Author: Sheela Kolambkar |url=https://sahitya-akademi.gov.in/library/meettheauthor/sheela_kolambkar.pdf |website=[[Sahitya Akademi]] |location= |publisher=[[Sahitya Akademi]], [[Institute Menezes Braganza]] |docket= |access-date=23 December 2025}}</ref>

==Literary career==
Kolambkar's literary career began with her maiden short story, ''Guerra'' (War), which won first prize in a contest held by the daily ''Rashtramat''. This story is considered a trendsetter in modern Konkani literature. It was later translated into English by Prakash Thali and Santan Rodrigues for ''[[Femina (India)|Femina]]'' (1974), and into Portuguese by Noronha.<ref name="SahityaAkademiIntro" />

In 1973, her first collection of short stories, ''Oli Saanj'', was published by Jaag Prakashan. The collection received critical acclaim, with writer Laxmanrao Sardesai praising its artistic rendition of life experiences. Her story ''Haum Vanzudnhai'' was adapted into a telefilm by Mukesh Thali, winning an award in [[Doordarshan]]'s national level regional language category.<ref name="SahityaAkademiIntro" />

Kolambkar is also recognized for her work in the genre of character sketches. Her book ''Bhuim Chanfim'' features fictitious character portraits, while her more recent work, ''Sheela Lekh'', portrays real-life personalities, including members of her own family.<ref name="SahityaAkademiIntro" />

She has also written extensively for children, a skill she developed while narrating stories to her two sons. Her bibliography includes several children's books such as ''Tejas ani Ojas'' and ''Kavlya kakya re''.<ref name="SahityaAkademiIntro" />

Her writing is noted for its linguistic diversity; while she writes primarily in the [[Devanagari]] script, her works have also been published in the [[Latin script|Roman script]] to reach a wider audience across the Konkani-speaking diaspora.<ref name="ScriptsDNA">{{Cite web |last=Krishna |first=R. |date=21 November 2013 |title=The many scripts of Konkani |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report-the-many-scripts-of-konkani-1708893 |access-date=2025-12-23 |website=DNA India |language=en}}</ref>

==Translations==
Beyond her original writing, Kolambkar is an active translator. She translated a collection of [[Dogri language|Dogri]] short stories into Konkani under the title ''Bhangrachem Suknnem'', for which she received the [[Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize]]. Her other translation works include ''Dongravelo Uzo'' (from English) and ''Parjallti Gholl''.<ref name="SahityaAkademiIntro" />

==Personal life==
Kolambkar served as an assistant teacher in [[Agaçaim]] and Santa Cruz, Goa, between 1966 and 1972. Following her marriage to Tukaram Kolambkar, she moved to [[Mumbai]], where she has lived for over 42 years. Despite living outside Goa, she has maintained a consistent and pure Konkani style in her writing.<ref name="SahityaAkademiIntro" />

==Awards and accolades==
She has been awarded and honoured with many accolades:<ref name="SahityaAkademiIntro" />
* [[Kala Academy]] Goa State Award for ''Oli Saanj'' (1975)
* [[Sahitya Akademi Award]] for ''Bhuim Chanfim'' (1997)
* President of the 14th Akhil Bharatiya Konkani Sahitya Sammelan (1998)
* [[Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize]] for ''Bhangrachem Suknnem'' (2007)
* Sahitya Akademi Samsung Tagore Literature Award for literary excellence (2012)
* Vimla V. Pai Vishwa Konkani Sahitya Puraskar (2014)<ref name="SahityaAkademiIntro" />

==Works==
Some of her popular works are listed below:<ref name="SahityaAkademiIntro" />
===Short story collections===
* ''Oli Saanj'' (1973)
* ''Guerra'' (2007)

===Essays and character sketches===
* ''Bhuim-chanfim'' (1994)
* ''Sheelalekh'' (2012)

===Children's literature===
* ''Tejas ani Ojas'' (1996)
* ''Pankaj'' (2005)
* ''Kavlya kakya re'' (2012)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kolambkar, Sheela}}
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Women writers from Goa]]
[[Category:People from Portuguese India]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Konkani]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Prize for Translation into Konkani]]
[[Category:Marathi-language writers]]

Sheela Kolambkar - Revision history

AlannahHudspeth: adding the stub with sources