William Radice, celebrated translator and poet, has died at the age of 73. One of the foremost translators of Bengali to English, William was best known for his work on bringing the writings of Rabindranath Tagore, a key figure of the Bengal Renaissance, to an international audience.
William was the senior lecturer in Bengali in the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London for many years and also translated several works by Michael Madhusudan Dutt. A keen poet, he published multiple volumes of poetry, along with adapting texts for opera librettos during his career.
He is remembered by all of us at J&A, along with his wife, Elizabeth, and their two daughters.