Anuradha Mahapatra was born in the Medinipur district of West Bengal: a dry, upland, remote region, and one of the least developed in the state.  She completed an M.A. in Bengali Literature from Calcutta University in 1981, the first woman in her family to obtain higher education.  Her first book, Chaiphulstup (Ash Flower Heap) appeared in 1983; a second volume, Adhibas Manikarnika (Bereavement of the Wedding Fast), was published in 1990.  She is currently continuing her work as a community organizer among the slum dwellers and doing other free-lance writing and editorial jobs to support herself.