The authors who are speaking at the GTLF
Ko. Puniyavan
Among authors who write with a realistic approach in Malaysian Tamil literature Ko.Puniyavan is a pioneer. In the Malaysian creative world of art and literature, he has been writing continuously for around fifty years and has also been a contributor via societies.
Ko. Puniyavan’s approach to writing can be assesed as one that has undergone changes in accordance with the times. He has written four short stories titled Nijam (reality), Sirai (prison), Ethirvinaigal (reactions), Kanavu Mugam (dream face) and three novels titled Noivap Puukkal (flowers of waste), Selancar Empat, Kaiyyaru (arm). Apart from these, he has written two children;s novels titled Vana Thevathai (Angel of the jungle) and Paeyotti (Excorsist), an anthology of poems titled Suriyak Kaigal (the hands of the Sun), and a book titled Octopus Kaigalum Adarntha Kavittuvam (the arms of the octopus wide poeticism). In the 1980s he wrote a novel titled Selancar Empat about salve workers who were held captive in an area called Selancar Empat in the state of Pahang and likewise he wrote a novel titled Kaiyyaru about the pitiful conditions of workers who had been taken to lay railway tracks in Siam during the second world war Ko.Puniyavan explains very convincingly about the hopeful thoughts and helplessness of the characters in his novels.
Ko. Puniyavan was the President of the Kedah Tamil Writers Association from 1996 to 2005. During that time, he organised activities such as book launchings, literary functions and discussions with literary notaries from Tamilnadu. In 2002 he compiled a number of short stories of the writers in Kedah in a book and launched it under the title ‘Nirranggal’. In 2010 he became a member of the Modern Literature Body that was begun at the Kulim Thiyaana Asramam and worked towards developing discussions on modern literature in the state of Kedah.In 2008 he joined hands with his literacy friends M.A. Ilanjchelvan and Ko.Muniandy, and successfully rorganised a seminar on modern poetry.
Latha
In the Singapore contemporary Tamil literature circle Kanagalatha who is better known as Latha stands out as a poet, article writer, columnist and literary activist. Presently she is the co-editor of Tamil Murasu, a national daily in Singapore. Working as one of the directors of the Singapore Poetry Festival that was begun in 2005 she has involved herself in developing a platform for multi lingual poetry and also reading of such works, Latha gained recognition in the literary world when her book ‘Paambuk Kaattil Oru Taazhai’ was published by Kaalachuvadu Publications in 2004. Earlier to that she had published a book of poems titled ‘Theeveli’ in Singapore. The poems in this anthology that were published as ‘Unique images and modern parables’ captured the attention of poetry enthusiast in 2002. In particular it was when women poets were flaunting their bodies as poetic images that Latha came to the fore contained and silent.
Latha’s poems were translated to English. Her pems found their way to Singapore literary showcases such as Still Human, MRT: Poems on the Move and Moving Words 2011. Latha found further fame when her poems found a place ln anthologies such as Journeys: Words, Home and Nation in 1995, in “Rhythms – Singaporean Millennial Anthology of Poetry” in 2000, and in an anthology of poems by modern women poets in 2003, Latha has written ‘Naan Kolai Seiyyum Penggal’, ‘Seenaletchumy’ with Singapore as the background, and important historical, social, psychological short stories with Singapore women as the main characters In 2008 Latha received the Singapore Literary award for her ‘Naan Kolai Seiyyum Penggal’
A. Pandiyan
A. Pandiyan is one among the most important creators of contemporary Malaysian Tamil Literature. Many articles by A. Pandiyan who has written a short novel and a few short stories have brought about debates and discussions in Malaysia.
A. Pandiyan’s creative world has as its background a multinational society which is one of Malaysia’s unique identity and also the social history that has developed here. Even so, in particular he has deviated from the history known to all through textbooks and developed as a solid background for his creations historical moments that are hitherto unknown.
Pandiyan’s short novel ‘Ringgit’ talks about the ten years after Malaysia gained independence during which period the ringgit was introduced as Malaysia’s own currency instead of the dollar used till then, the subsequent fall of currency value and the hartal that was initially carried out in protest which later developed into violence
A. Pandian’s short stories too, have as artistic backgrounds, Chinese traditional customs, the May riots and colonial Penang scenarios that most people are unaware of.
Pandiyan puts forward constructive criticism about literary creations He has written with critical approach a series of articles titled ‘A Little Ink from their Pens’, about Malay creators and their creations. Furthermore, he has written comprehensive articles about debates that are the talk of the society. He has also written articles that put forward argumentative debates about the involvement of teachers in politics and the teaching of Mathematics and Science in the English Language (DLP).
