{{Short description|Indian novelist, poet and translator (1931-2005)}} {{Multiple issues| {{Tone|date=February 2018}} {{more citations needed|date=February 2018}} {{Cleanup rewrite|date=February 2018}} }} {{Use Indian English|date=August 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox person | name = Sundara Ramaswamy | image = SundaraRamaswamyPic.jpg | caption = Sundara Ramasamy | occupation = Writer | children = 4 | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1931|5|30|}} | birth_place = Vadasery (of Nagercoil), Trivandrum Division, Kingdom of Travancore, British India<br/>(now in Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu, India) | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2005|10|15|1931|5|30}} | death_place = Melbourne, US | awards = Kumaran Asan Memorial Award }} '''Sundara Ramaswamy''' (30 May 1931 – 15 October 2005)<ref name=":3" /> was an Indian novelist, poet, translator, and literary critic, widely considered to be a preeminent figure in post-Independence Tamil literature.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Living and Dying|url=https://www.thebookreviewindia.org/living-and-dying/|access-date=2020-12-24|website=The Book Review}}</ref> His notable works include "''Oru Puliyamarathin Kathai", "J.J. Sila Kuripugal", "Kuzhanthaigal," "Pengal," and "Aangal."'' He was a key figure in Tamil modern literature. The translations of his novels and short stories have brought him international acclaim. Sundara Ramaswamy has been praised for his versatility and his skillful negotiation of various literary forms: poetry, short fiction, and the novel.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Srilata|first=K.|date=2013-07-06|title=Negotiating a minefield|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/books/books-reviews/negotiating-a-minefield/article4884039.ece|access-date=2020-12-23|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
Ramaswamy began his literary career translating Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai's Malayalam novel, ''Thottiyude Makan,'' into Tamil. His early short stories were published in progressive literary journals like Shanthi and Saraswati. He wrote over 80 short stories, three novels, a little over 100 poems, and many essays and reviews.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sundara Ramaswamy: A Dynamic Literary Journey (1931-2005)|url=https://www.sahapedia.org/sundara-ramaswamy-1931-2005|access-date=2020-12-24|website=Sahapedia}}</ref> In 1987, he launched a literary review, Kalachuvadu, which folded after eight quarterly issues and a final special edition. It was revived in a different form by his son Kannan Sundaram in 1994.
==Early years== Sundara Ramaswamy was born in 1931 in Thazhuviya Mahadevan Kovil, a village in Nagercoil, then part of the princely state of Travancore. He spent his childhood in Kottayam, Travancore, where his father worked as a Burmah Oil agent. Originating from a Tamil Brahmin family, he spoke the language, but as he lived in Travancore, he only learned to read and write in Malayalam.<ref name=":0" /> His father decided to move to Nagercoil, Kanyakumari in 1939. He continued his schooling there but was generally considered to be a poor student. Kanyakumari was then still a part of Travancore, so his education continued in Malayalam.
When he was 10 years old, he developed rheumatoid arthritis and remained ill for the next five or six years. Often bedridden, his schooling was interrupted regularly until he discontinued it altogether.<ref name=":1" /> He taught himself Tamil from the age of 18, and became exposed to writing from the magazine ''Manikodi'', and famous Tamil writers such as Na. Pitchamurthy and C.S. Chellappa. He was particularly influenced by Pudumaipithan.<ref name=":0" />
==Career== At 20, he began his literary career, translating Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai's Malayalam novel, ''Thottiyude Makan'' into Tamil<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gnR7vBXXYXMC&q=sundara+ramaswamy&pg=PA6|title=J.J., Some Jottings|last=Rāmacāmi|first=Cuntara|publisher=Katha|year=2003|isbn=9788187649267|pages=Introduction}}</ref> 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 Paramahansa, Ram Manohar Lohia, J. C. Kumarappa and J. Krishnamurty.<ref name=":3" /> In 1952, he began to be influenced by Marxist theory after meeting the Communist T. M. C. Raghunathan, editor of the magazine ''Shanti''.<ref name=":1" /> He joined the editorial board of ''Saraswathi'', edited by Vijayabhaskaran, who was also a Communist.<ref name="Novel">{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/lr/2004/01/04/stories/2004010400220300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050131225002/http://www.hindu.com/lr/2004/01/04/stories/2004010400220300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=31 January 2005|title=Novel as critique|date=4 January 2004|newspaper=The Hindu|location=India}}</ref> He met the editor M. Govindan in 1957, they became friends.<ref name=":3" />
=== 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).<ref name=":5">{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KnPoYxrRfc0C&q=palanquin+bearers+Ramaswamy&pg=PA4225|title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: Sasay to Zorgot|publisher=Sahitya Akadem|year=1992|isbn=9788126012213|editor-last=Lal|editor-first=Mohan|volume=5|pages=4225–4226|chapter=Sundara Ramaswamy}}</ref> ''Oru Puliamarathin Kathai'' (The Story of a Tamarind Tree, 1966) was his first novel.<ref name=":4">{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/lf/2003/08/27/stories/2003082708030200.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130726120922/http://www.hindu.com/lf/2003/08/27/stories/2003082708030200.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 July 2013|title=Milestones in Tamil literature|date=27 August 2003|newspaper=The Hindu|location=Madurai, India}}</ref> It received critical acclaim, and is now regarded as a groundbreaking classic of Tamil literature. He edited and published a literary magazine called ''Kalachuvadu.''<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/H4bumBPZ5sf0LNxWp1vmUJ/Essay--No-longer-at-ease.html|title=No longer at ease|last=Swami|first=Sridala|date=13 July 2013|work=livemint|access-date=3 September 2018}}</ref> Ramaswamy suspended active writing for nearly six years; and when he resumed in 1973,<ref name=":1" /> 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), and later the novel ''J.J. Silakuripukal'' (J.J. Some Notes) in 1988.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2921/stories/20121102292108700.htm|title=Novel as Debate|date=2 November 2012|newspaper=Frontline|location=India}}</ref> He published his last novel, ''Kuzhanthaigal, Pengal, and Aangal'' (Children, Women, Men) in 1995.
=== Poetry === He wrote his first poem "Un Kai Nagam" in 1959, using the pseudonym 'Pasuvayya'<ref name=":0" /> and publishing it in ''Ezhuthu''. ''Nadunisi nayagal'' (Midnight Dogs) was published in 1975, followed by ''Pasuvayya kavithagal'' (Pasuvayya poems).<ref name=":5" /> Although his earlier poems used structured language, they later became more spontaneous. His poetry is collected in the book ''107 Kavithaikal''.<ref name=":3">{{cite web | url=http://tamilnation.co/hundredtamils/ramaswamy/index.htm| title=One Hundred Tamils of the 20th Century| work=Tamil nation | date=22 June 2004 | access-date=21 May 2018}}</ref>
===Translation Work=== He has translated from Malayalam into Tamil two of Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai's books ''Chemmeen'' and ''Thottiyude Magan''<ref name=":4" /> and short stories by Basheer, Karoor Neelakanta Pillai and M. Govindan.<ref name=":6" />
===Critical writing=== He wrote ''Na.Pichamoorthiyin Kalai marabum manitha neyamum,'' a book of criticism on N. Pichamoorthi's literary works. Analysing the author's poetry and short stories in depth, Ramaswamy describes how Pichamoorthi has contributed to free verse poetry with his simple words and philosophy, and defines how Pichamoorthi has set the grammar for how free verse poetry should be, in comparison to many modern poets. The book was released in April 1991 by Vanathi Publications.
==Translations of works== ''Oru Puliamarathin Kathai'' has been translated into English (Tale of a Tamarind Tree, Penguin India, New Delhi), Hindi, Malayalam and Hebrew.<ref name=":2" />
Penguin India has released a new translation of ''Oru Puliyamarathin Kadai,'' titled ''Tamarind History''. A translation of ''Kuzhanthaikal, Pengal, and Aangal'', titled ''Children, Women, and Men'', was also released.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://kalachuvadu.in/mc.html|title=Translation Rights Catalogue|website=Kalachuvadu Publications, India|access-date=15 September 2018}}</ref>
==Death== He died in the United States from pulmonary fibrosis in 2005, aged 74. He was survived by a son and two daughters.<ref name=":6">{{cite web|url=http://www.nettv4u.com/celebrity/tamil/writer/sundara-ramaswamy|title=Sundara Ramaswamy|work=Nettv4u|access-date=21 May 2018}}</ref>
==Awards and honours== He received the Kumaran Asan Memorial Award in 1988, the Iyal Award from The Tamil Literary Garden in 2001<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tamilliterarygarden.com/awards/sundara|title=2001 Iyal Award|publisher=Tamil Literary garden|access-date=26 July 2013}}</ref> and the Katha Chudamani Award in 2004<ref name="Novel" /><ref name=":2">{{cite news|title=Sundara Ramaswamy dead|url=http://www.hindu.com/2005/10/16/stories/2005101604190400.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051224004744/http://www.hindu.com/2005/10/16/stories/2005101604190400.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 December 2005|date=16 October 2005|newspaper=The Hindu|location=Chennai, India}}</ref>
==See also== * List of Indian writers
==References== {{reflist}} {{Portal bar|Biography|India|Literature|Poetry}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ramaswami, Sundara}} Category:1931 births Category:2005 deaths Category:Tamil poets Category:People from Kanyakumari district Category:Indian male poets Category:Poets from Tamil Nadu Category:20th-century Indian male writers Category:20th-century Indian translators Category:20th-century Indian poets Category:Place of death missing