In the fourth part of the sprawling Ponniyin Selvan series, we learn more about the intricate complexities and histories propelling the characters towards their ultimate destiny.
What will happen in Kadambur? The beguiling and breathtaking Nandini Devi requests a rendezvous with Crown Prince Aditta Karikalan. He is determined to meet her, despite opposition from friends and family. Does Nandini mean to persuade Karikalan to give up the crown or to kill him? Meanwhile, in Tanjavur, the life of the ailing emperor Sundara Chozha is under threat. Will his assassins succeed? The mute Mandakini Devi has been forcibly taken to Tanjavur, and Poonkuzhali rushes there to help her aunt. What will happen when the betrayed Mandakini meets the royal family?
As Kalki's enthralling saga continues to unfold apace in The Jewelled Crown, Gowri Ramnarayan's fleet-footed translation proves equal to the challenge of capturing its heightened momentum and suspense.
Kalki Ramaswamy Krishnamurthy (1899-1954) was a pioneer of modern Tamil literature whose active involvement with India's freedom struggle inducted him into journalism. A liberal humanist and true-blue Gandhian, he had a passion for his mother tongue and took pride in his pan-Indian heritage. Krishnamurthy was a fiery, often controversial, crusader for political freedom, social reform and cultural revival. He adopted the pseudonym 'Kalki' after the apocalyptic avatar with the avowed intention of destroying repressive regimes and creating a new era with radical writings.
Kalki's prolific output includes essays, fiction, travel writing, art critiques, songs, poems and even a screenplay or two. He is lauded for his mesmerizing storytelling, conversational style, lyricism, wit and trademark humour. The serialized historical romances that made Kalki a cult figure appeared in the eponymous nationalist weekly he founded in 1944. His magnum opus Ponniyin Selvan remains a bestseller in the Tamil-speaking world.
Gowri Ramnarayan is a writer, translator, journalist, playwright, theatre director and educator. Formerly deputy editor of The Hindu and vocal accompanist to the legendary Carnatic musician M.S. Subbulakshmi, she has authored children's books, a biography of M.S. Subbulakshmi and profiles of iconic Indian artists. The 2017 collection Dark Horse anthologizes her original plays. Gowri has translated Kalki's short stories, his award-winning novel Alai Osai (The Sound of Waves), a two-volume biography by M.R.M. Sundaram titled Kalki Krishnamurthy: His Life and Times, as well as two plays by Marathi playwright Vijay Tendulkar. She is the chairperson of the Rukmini Devi Arundale Trust, senior associate editor at Sruti magazine and adjunct faculty at the Asian College of Journalism. Gowri has served as a jury member of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) at film festivals and holds a PhD in comparative aesthetics from the University of Madras.
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