On August 1, the storied halls of St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai will echo with verse, memories, and reverence, as the institution celebrates 'Poetry Day' in honour of the late Eunice de Souza- poet, professor, editor, and one of the sharpest literary minds the city has ever known.
Eunice de Souza was not just a poet. She was a force-someone who could both nurture and challenge with equal intensity. Known for her biting wit, her bold feminist voice, and a classroom charisma that sparked many literary journeys, she taught English literature at St. Xavier’s College for over three decades. For countless students, attending her class was not merely academic-it was transformational.
Her debut poetry collection Fix (1979) marked a radical shift in Indian English poetry, minimal, unapologetically personal, and stunningly original. “In dreams, I hack you,” she once wrote -a single line that cracked open the traditional, often sentimental, Indian portrayal of motherhood. Her poems never flinched from the difficult or the uncomfortable.
Beyond the page
Eunice wasn’t confined to writing or teaching. She edited anthologies, mentored emerging writers, launched poetry publishing ventures, and even penned the acerbically comic novel Dangerlok. She curated literature festivals like 'Ithaka', bringing together voices and verses across time and tongues. Her life was literature in motion- defiant, inclusive, and intellectually alive.
A living tribute
St. Xavier’s College's library department now celebrates her birthday as Poetry Day and it is more than a nostalgic gesture- it’s a call to keep alive the spirit she brought into the classroom and the page. The Reference Library on the 2nd floor of the college will host readings, reflections, and tributes starting at 3 PM on August 1. Former students, poets, and admirers are expected to gather, carrying forward the fire she sparked.
In remembering Eunice, we remember what poetry can do- how it can hack through illusion, rearrange our insides, and leave us just a little more awake.
