CHENNAI: Are you a bibliophile who loves to explore new books? Well, here is one for you. The Tamil Story, a one-of-its-kind book has recorded the evolution of Tamil short stories through 88 stories spanning nine decades (1913-2000). Carefully handpicked and translated into English by famous editor Dilip Kumar and translator Subashree Krishnaswamy, the groundbreaking book records the roller coaster journey of Tamil prose in the literary landscape.
In a tete-a-tete, City Express explores the evolution of Tamil short stories with the duo. In 1999, Manas (EastWest Books) brought out Contemporary Tamil Short Fiction edited by Dilip Kumar (translated by Vasantha Surya). The anthology, which covered three decades, was very well received. “We felt that a comprehensive anthology tracing the evolution of the Tamil short story would be a fitting tribute to the rich tradition of short fiction in Tamil. Writers and scholars endorsed the idea and urged us to pursue. That’s how this book came about,” recalls Dilip.
The stories were sourced from little known magazines of previous centuries, out-of-print editions of yesteryears, and contemporary literary journals to document the evolutionary journey of Tamil prose. “He had to read, actually re-read over 1,000 books to identify and pick 88 stories for the book,” says Subashree pointing to Dilip in admiration.
Dilip, as editor, waded through thousands of prose books across centuries. “I am a writer myself and I have been associated with contemporary Tamil literature for more than 40 years. So I was already familiar with all the writers and their works,” he says. He even used his own collections and those of fellow writers as part of the selection process for the anthology. U V Swaminatha Iyer Library was another rich source, particularly for the earlier stories. “The writings in the book include works of Pudumaippittan, Mauni, Sundara Ramaswamy and Ashokamitran among other path-breaking writers,” he says.
Committing to a big project required a lot of discipline and the duo were willing to give their best shot. “We set aside time for this anthology every single day. We went through each text line-by-line several times to hone the translations and capture the nuances,” explains Subashree as she calls it a tough job, but rewarding journey. Dilip opines that the real wealth of Indian literature lies in the short stories. “It is the best medium to capture the struggles and complexities of modern life. The short story reflects the Indian perspective of life convincingly. It documents the social history of the times.”
The colourful expressions in the stories depict the changing social and political climate of Dravidian heartland in 1950s-60s. “I would say the best stories from the writers of the Dravidian movement got published in 1950s-60s and we have included two important pieces on this genre,” shares the editor.
The aim of the publication of The Tamil Story is: “We want this book to reach people who don’t know Tamil, and also those who have a link with Tamil but do not know the language. If this book gets new readership for all these writers, it would be gratifying,” says Subashree.
1970s — the Best Period
According to Dilip, the period of 1970s was the best, as it contributed much to Tamil fiction, especially in the short story format. “In Tamil, there has always been a wave every two decades — the 1930s, 50s, 70s and 70s. The finest writers have emerged in all these phases and perfected the art of the short story. But in my view, the 1970s was the best period.”