About the Book

AN EXPANSIVE ANTHOLOGY OF TAMIL STORIES IN TRANSLATION, COVERING THE EVOLUTION OF THE TAMIL SHORT STORY
‘... By unearthing rich, nuanced tales depicting varied aspects of the human condition, the anthology throws light upon the vibrant realm of modern Tamil literature. An eye-opening treasure-trove, it reveals, and revels in, the rich possibilities of good fiction, while elevating the art of translation to a new level in Indian writing. Most enthusiastically recommended.’ —Shashi Tharoor
Spanning close to a century, this pioneering anthology deftly traces the evolution of the Tamil short story, a genre that the Tamils have subsumed effortlessly to create illuminating glimpses of life. Like all timeless masterpieces, these eighty-eight finely etched stories will both hold you spellbound and jolt you out of your complacency as they traverse through the changing landscapes of different times, highlighting at once the uniqueness and the universality of life. Culled from every available source—little-known magazines from the turn of the previous century and out-of-print editions from yesteryears to contemporary literary magazines and innumerable anthologies of both serious and popular short fiction—the writings include not only stalwarts such as Pudumaippittan, Mauni, Sundara Ramaswamy and Ashokamitran, to name just a few, but also unsung women writers and path-breaking modern voices.
Carefully and sensitively translated, these stories, from the world’s most ancient language, reflect nearly all the aesthetic and political perspectives that make up the Tamil short story. Rooted in realism and fantasy, framed on folklore and myth, steeped