Sivasankari

Having carved a niche for herself in the Tamil literary world during the last four decades, her works include more than 36 novels, 48 short novels, 150 short stories, 15 travelogues, 7 collections of articles, one talking book, 4 volumes of literary research book, 2 volumes of anthologies, and 2 biographies – of Smt. Indira Gandhi, the late Prime Minister, and of Sri. G.D. Naidu, a pioneer in many fields.Her novels on Drug Abuse, Alcoholism and Old Age Problem, written after many years of research and authentic spadework, have been serialised in National and Regional television networks with tremendous public response, and SUBAH – the serial on drug menace – was adjudged as one of the mega hits of 1987Her stories and articles published in prominent Tamil periodicals have been translated into English and other Indian languages. AVAN – the novel on drug addiction – has been translated into Ukrainian.Her article on Eye Donation made a deep impact on the readers resulting in thousands of people pledging their eyes for donation after death. Articles on the physically and mentally challenged, and the old aged, have awakened social awareness among readers and grateful acknowledgements are received in public forums from experts and welfare organizations.Six of her novels have been filmed in Tamil receiving popular public acclaim for their integrity and social commitment. One story has been filmed in Kannada and one in Telugu languages.Sivasankari has been reporting on significant events and has also presented several in-depth interviews with dignitaries from various walks of life, including the Prime Ministers late Smt. Indira Gandhi and Sri. Rajiv Gandhi, and the Nobel Laureate Mother Teresa.She is the first writer to have narrated her story through video and audiotapes. She has presented constructive and thought-motivating programs for television, and has also anchored the most popular Talk Show NETRU, INDRU, NAALAI on varied topics of social relevance, in the satellite channel SUN TV.Sivasankari has accompanied the Prime Minister late Sri. Rajiv Gandhi on his CHOGM tours twice and has written two travelogues titled TRAVELS WITH RAJIV GANDHI, and these were translated into Japanese and published as the first ever of its kind in Japan during May’95.She was instrumental in setting up the RAJAJI CENTRE FOR DE-ADDICTION at the VHS Hospital, Taramani, Chennai.Having worked for 14 years, she completed her project KNIT INDIA THROUGH LITERATURE,in June 2009. She launched this project with a mission to meet and interview the stalwart writers of all the 18 Indian languages that are approved by the VIIIth Schedule of Indian constitution. These interviews accompanied by a creative work of the respective writer, are published along with her travelogues of the regions, as also an in-depth article by a scholar on the cultural and literary heritage of the various languages. The Tamil and English editions of the first volume the SOUTH, the second volume the EAST, the third volume the WEST and the final volume the NORTH of this project have been published in 1998, 2000, 2004 and 2009 respectively.