Kalyani Thakur Charal has published four volumes of poetry: Dhorlei Juddho Sunischit, Je Meye Adhar Gone, Chandalinir Kabita, and Chandalini Bhone. In addition to these, she has published a volume of critical essays titled Chandalinir Bibriti, and a collection of short stories, and an autobiography, Ami Keno Charal Likhi (Why I Write Charal).[2][5] Her autobiography, as well as her essay and poetry collections titled 'Chandalini' (tr: 'the untouchable woman') are widely popular, containing accounts of the discrimination that she faced for reasons of caste, while working in government service.[1] In 2017 she won the Sparrow Literary Award for her autobiography.[4] She edited the volume Dalit Lekhika: Women’s Writing from Bengal.[4][6] Her work has been received to critical acclaim, with one essay on Dalit women's writing from Bengal applauding her "strong and powerful voice".[7] Her adoption of the pen-name 'Charal' has also been praised for 'recovering space' for Dalit writers.[8]
In 2003 Charal began publishing a multilingual magazine called Nir, which contained recordings of folklore, poetry, plays, and fiction, as well as non-fiction writing focusing on Dalit experiences. The magazine included contributions in Bengali as well as local languages and dialects including Santali, Kamtapuri, Rarh, and Dapno.[2] The magazine continues to be in wide local circulation, and has provided a platform for people belonging to marginalised communities to record personal experiences.[3] Charal is a member of the editorial board of Chaturtha Duniya, a Bengali publishing house that focuses on works by Dalit writers, and is also on the board of the Dalit Sahitya Sabha, a literary organisation dedicated to Dalit literature.[4] In an interview, Charal cited Bengali poets and writers including Subhas Mukhopadhyay, Purnendu Patri, Binoy Majumder, and Rabindranath Tagore, as her early influences.[2]
