About The Book
One of the great Tamil writers of the twentieth century, Thi. Janakiraman (Thija) is known for his pitch-perfect prose and the richness and subtlety of his observation. This specially curated collection reveals ThiJa's unique vision, bringing to life the fast-modernizing Tamil countryside through sensitively drawn characters and unexpected drama. Even as his stories are profoundly rooted in the social and cultural milieu of the Kaveri Delta, they are reminiscent of de Maupassant and Balzac. A starving mendicant's words become a life lesson for an arrogant man, a music teacher is mocked for taking on a lower-caste student, and a young girl arouses myriad emotions in a train full of strangers. In these and other tales, ThiJa reaches inside the depths of the human heart and lays bare its often contradictory pulls. In their brilliant translation, Professor David Shulman, the late S. Ramakrishnan, and Uma Shankari capture ThiJa's exquisite storytelling in idiomatic English. Prof. Shulman's insightful introduction illuminates ThiJa's distinctive style and situates his work within the long Tamil literary tradition. A short, poignant memoir on ThiJa by his daughter Uma Shankari offers an intimate view of the man behind the writer.
About The Author
THIJA OF THI. JANAKIRAMAN (1921-1982) was a major figure of twentieth-century Tamil literature. A connoisseur of Carnatic music, he worked for All India Radio Madras from 1954, and fifteen years later was appointed chief producer of educational broadcasts in All India Radio Delhi Thija published over 150 short stories, nine novels, seven novellas, four travelogues, and occasional essays. In 1979, he won the Sahitya Akademi Award.
David Shulman is professor emeritus at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, and a specialist in the languages, literatures, and cultures of southern India. He is multilingual and has written extensively on the cultural history of south India
S. Ramakrishnan was a pivotal figure in Tamil literature and learning He founded the prestigious Cre-a Publishers and edited and published all of the most prominent and original Tamil writers of this generation
Ramakrishnan and Shulman co-translated Bullocks from the West by Na. Muthuswamy and, with Abbie Ziffren, Tomorrow Is One More Day by G. Nagarajan.
Uma Shankari is a farmer, researcher, social activist, and Thija's daughter.
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