Kolkata: Eminent litterateur and academician Nabaneeta Dev Sen died in her South Kolkata residence on Thursday evening after a protracted illness. She was 81. Dev Sen was suffering from cancer for a long time and her condition deteriorated over the past 10 days. She died at 7.35 pm on Thursday, family sources said. Winner of the Sahitya Akademi award and the Padma Shri, she is survived by two daughters - writer Antara and actress Nandana.

A poet, novelist, columnist and writer of short stories and travelogues, Dev Sen was also known for her research on the Ramayana. She worked as a teacher at the Oxford University and the Colorado College in the US. She also taught Comparative Literature at Jadavpur University. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed grief over the death of Dev Sen.