Sundara Ramaswamy

Sundara Ramaswamy (30 May 1931 – 15 October 2005) was an Indian novelist and exponent of Tamil modern literature from Thazhuviya Mahadevarkoil, Kanyakumari district,Tamil Nadu. Ramaswamy began his literary career translating Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai's Malayalam novel, Thottiyude Makan into Tamil and writing his first short story, "Muthalum Mudivum", which he published in Pudimaipithan Ninaivu Malar. Career At 20, he began his literary career, translating Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai's Malayalam novel, Thottiyude Makan into Tamil and writing his first short story, 'Muthalum Mudivum', which he published in Pudimaipithan Ninaivu Malar. He was influenced by the works of contemporary thinkers such as Gandhi, Periyar, Sri Aurobindo, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Ram Manohar Lohia, J. C. Kumarappa and J.Krishnamurty. In 1952, he began to be influenced by marxist theory after meeting the Communist T. M. C. Raghunathan, editor of the magazine Shanti. He joined the editorial-board of Saraswathi, edited by Vijayabhaskaran, who was also a Communist. He met the editor M.Govindan in 1957 and they became friends.

Short stories and Novels
The majority of his early short stories were published in the magazines Sarawathi and Santhi, although he also wrote several collections, among them Akkaraic chimaiyil (On the Shores Beyond, 1959) and Pitatchatam (Offerings,1964) Oru Puliamarathin Kathai (The Story of a Tamarind Tree, 1966) was his first novel. It received critical acclaim, and is now regarded as a groundbreaking classic of Tamil literature. He edited and published a literary magazine called Kalachuvadu Ramaswamy suspended active writing for nearly six years; and when he resumed in 1973, his style had evolved. It was in this phase that he wrote the short stories in Pallikutt takhihal (The Palanquin Bearers), the book of novellas Tiraikal ayiram (Thousand curtains,1975) and later the novel J.J. Silakuripukal (J.J. Some Notes) in 1988. He published his last novel, Kuzhanthaigal, Pengal, Aangal (Children, Women, Men) in 1995.