Dr. Vanita has been playing the role of a Punjabi poet, writer, translator, and editor. She was born on October 7, 1954, in Amritsar, to S. Joginder Singh and Sardarni Surjit Kaur. She obtained her M.A. in Music from Amritsar itself. In 1974, she married S. Daljit Singh and moved to Delhi. After arriving in Delhi, she continued her studies and earned her M.A. in Punjabi and a Ph.D. from Delhi University. Dr. Vanita retired from her position as a teacher at Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College, Delhi University.
Dr. Vanita had a passion for writing since childhood. Her first poetry collection, Supniyan di Pagdandi, was published in 1985, followed by Chhavan di Kabar, Bol Alap, Mandir Saptak, Kharj Naad, Kaali Pehr, and Ghadhiyan. She has received the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Kavita Award for her books Kaali Pehr and Ghadhiyan. Her poetry, in the modern and post-modern context, vividly and insightfully portrays women's sensibility, conditions, and new aspirations. Dr. Vanita is a poet who understands and recognizes the core contexts of contemporary upheavals, women's existential issues, and complex realities.
In addition to poetry, Dr. Vanita has worked in the fields of criticism and editing, and these efforts continue unabated.