A Tale of Things Timeless penned by Rizio Yohannan Raj, acclaimed writer and poet was launched in a popular book store recently.
The occasion was graced by the presence of Dr Tejaswini Niranjana, writer, editor and author who was in conversation with the author.
The novel A Tale of Things Timeless is deeply philosophical and deals with the trials of a writer and the uniqueness of mundane things.
It revolves around a small-time writer Avinash Suvarna and a young journalist Laya Thomas. The story begins with the suicide note of Avinash that sets Laya, on a course of discoveries about Avinash and her own self.
The story beautifully depicts how Laya confronts her fears and learns to abandon them.
Her search thereafter stirs her smouldering spirit and brings her face to face with the mysteries of living and difficulties of creating one’s master piece.
It helps her reflect her own dilemmas in the light of the life of the deceased. It is through Laya that Avinash will be resurrected and rendered timeless.
The narrative takes the reader through intensely imaginative journeys of Avinash and Laya.
A unique experience that makes one yearn for beauty and truth in the afflicted times and a realisation that it is indeed in ordinary things that one discovers the unexpected uniqueness of life.
A journey of self actualisation brings her face to face with the mysteries of living and the travails of creating one’s masterpiece.
The story of Avinash’s life holds the answers to Laya’s existential dilemmas.
For Avinash was someone who walked out on time, struggling to reconcile his writing with his life and with the ugly realities around him.
Laya must understand Avinash in order to rediscover herself.
It is through Laya that he will be resurrected and rendered timeless.
Rizio Yohannan Raj has written two novels in Malayalam Avinasom (2000) and Yatrikom (2004).
She has translated into English many generations of the 20th Century Malayalam writers from Kumaran Asan to Anwar Ali, and was a long-time associate of the Indo-Swedish
Translation project.
Her other works in Malayam include two novels by the Swedish writer Togrny Lindgren, and a collection of Maithili poetry of Udaya Narayana Singh along with the author.
She has translated and introduced Gujarati and Marathi Dalit poetry into Malayalam, and was also a part of the Mumbai Poetry Circle while she lived in the city. Her poetry collections include Eunuch (2010) and Naked by the Sabarmati and Other Guna Poems (Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi in 2012).