Rajam Krishnan

Rajam Krishnan (1924 or 1925 – 2014), was a feminist Tamil writer from Tamil Nadu, India. Rajam Krishnan was born in Musiri, Tiruchirapalli district, Tamilnadu. She had very little formal education and appears to have been largely an autodidact. She got married at a very young age to Krishnan and started writing at the age of 16. Her first story ‘Oosiyum Unarvum’ (Needle and Sense) won an international award for the Tamil short story in 1952. It was given by the New York Herald Tribune.

She is known for writing well researched social novels on the lives of people usually not depicted in modern Tamil literature – poor farmers, salt pan workers, small-time criminals, jungle dacoits, under-trial prisoners and female labourers. She did not change her views and writing style with the fast changing times. Her Tamil in later days became very chaste and tough and she preferred to use complex sentences and phrases. This is a rare phenomena and in a way her strength as well.

She has written more than 80 books. Her works include forty novels, twenty plays, two biographies and several short stories. In addition to her own writing, she was a translator of literature from Malayalam to Tamil. Personal problems took away her writing skills in the last phase of her life. She was left poor and destitute in her later years and had to be admitted to an old age home.

In 2009, her works were nationalised by the Government of Tamil Nadu, for a compensation of Rs. 300,000. It was a rare occurrence as only works of dead writers are usually nationalised in Tamil Nadu. The Library of Congress has fifty-nine titles by her.

Her renowned works:

# Uthara Kaandam # Kurinji Then – (Kannada & Malayalam Translations  are published # Valaikaram # Verukku Neer – Kannada Translation available # Malargal # Mullum Malarndhadhu # Paadaiyil Padinda Adigal # Alaivaai Karayile # Karippu Manigal # Mannakattu puntulikal # Sathiya Velvi # Suzhalil Mithakkum Deepangal (Lamps in the Whirlpool)(1987)

Awards and recognition:

# In 1950, New York Herald Tribune International Award for a short story # In 1953, Kalaimagal award # In 1958, ‘Malargal’ (Flowers) Ananda Vikatan Novel Prize Winner # In 1973, Sahitya Akademi Award for Tamil for Verukku Neer (Water for the Roots) # In 1975, Soviet Land Nehru Award for Vailaikkaram (Wrist with Bangles) # In 1991, Thiru. Vi. Ka award