NEW DELHI: The English translation of "Vazhga Vazhga and Other Stories" by Tamil literary pioneer Imayam has hit the bookshelves, Penguin Random House India (PRHI) announced on Wednesday.
The book, translated into English by former judge of Madras High Court Prabha Sridevan, is a collection of stories holding a mirror to society and humanity.
Imayam, pen name of school teacher and writer V Annamalai, has published seven novels and six short story collections.
"Three stories so different, and by the same author, it is a triumph. The hollowness of our democracy where people matter little. The truly free and universal spirit has no place in our world of constricting creeds. The outcast from society finds a forest of friendship," said Sridevan, translator of "The Echoes of the Veena" (short stories of R Chudamani), in a statement.
Be it depicting a lack of political morality in the novella "Vazhga Vazhga", or questioning whether religion unifies or divides in "Tiruneeru Sami", Imayam's unsparing gaze on society in the book reveals the "inequalities people must live with and navigate".
Imayam has been honoured with several awards, including the Tamil Nadu State Award (2010), the Iyal Lifetime Achievement Award (2018), the Sahitya Akademi award (2020) and the Kuvempu Rashtriya Puruskar (2022).
The book, priced at Rs 399, is currently available for purchase across offline and online stores.