Tamil Literature

The joy and challenges of translating Perumal Murugan's Thondra Thunai — an evocative account of his mother

From his mother’s reluctance to accept Ezhilarasi as her daughter-in-law, to his decision to send her off along the path of the wind, Perumal Murugan's 'Amma' is as social an account as personal. His Amma is a tough woman and will remain a lasting influence on him, and yet, in his book, Murugan does justice to the writer in him, by not allowing the magnanimity of her persona cover up for her shortcomings and limitations of being part of a patriarchal setup. He does not shy away from speaking about it, and on his ways of handling the issues that cropped up due to the contradictions that existed between them.

Tamil writer Pathinathan returns home to Sri Lanka, after documenting refugee life in India over three decades

Renowned Tamil writer Pathinathan clearly remembers the day he set foot in Tamil Nadu after fleeing his home in Sri Lanka in the summer of 1990. As a wide-eyed 16-year-old, he hoped to return home in six months after a bit of sightseeing. Little did he know that he would end up spending three decades in India, only to start from scratch on his return to Sri Lanka in 2019.

Who Owns that Song? brings to life 'unsung poet' Subramania Bharati, copyright issues surrounding his work

In this book, Subramania Bharati is not the hero— his life is simply the explanation for why his poems became important to the Tamil people | #FirstCulture

Su Venkatesan on new novel Velpari: 'Unfair to expect a fiction writer to do the work of a historian'

Sahitya Akademi awardee Su Venkatesan speaks with Firstpost about his latest novel Velpari, his interest in the Keezhadi excavation, and why a writer cannot but be political | #FirstCulture

Tamil Sangam poetry to Dalit literature, translation provides a window to words that might be lost

Translation, even when we do not notice it, is integral to our lives | #FoundInTranslation | #FWeekend

Perumal Murugan on returning from the 'dead', and how poetry helped him heal

Among the greatest writers of Tamil literature of his time, Perumal Murugan speaks with Firstpost about returning from his self-imposed literary exile, how his writing has changed over the years, and his latest short story collection to be published — Goat Thief | Juggernaut Books | #FWeekend

A Night with a Black Spider: Charming ordinariness of the people in Ambai's stories are this collection’s strength

Ambai’s stories, set in the world of women, Carnatic music, and conferences, carry a marked sense of self-awareness

Ambai's Sudha Gupta is the latest addition to collection of delightful desi female detectives

There's a long tradition of female detectives written by Indian women who subvert typical ideas about their ilk

In Vallisai, Azhagiya Periyavan chronicles an inspiring political history of the Dalits

Tamil author Azhagiya Periyavan’s latest novel is heavy and musical as it traces the Dalits' political history in northern Tamil Nadu

A complete tale: 'The Tamil Story' looks at how the short story evolved in Tamil literature

The Tamil Story, edited by Dilip Kumar and Subashree Krishnaswamy, looks at how the short story evolved in Tamil literature, through 88 works