Emerging voice

Saheera Thangal, who has bagged the first Emerging Writer Award, says her literary flights are powered by her passion for writing.

“Her poetry is ‘a surprise that has opened a door and stepped out.' Its intensity makes me laugh and cry at the same time.” The late Kamala Suraiyya wrote this blurb for a debut poetry collection titled Njanenna Ottavara (Me, the Single Line) by Saheera Thangal in 2007. The introduction to this collection was written by none other than poet K. Satchidanandan. Saheera's Malayalam novel Rabia was also well received for its excellent craft and bold theme – polygamy.

The 36-year-old Dubai-based advertising executive, author and poet celebrates this Ramzan with more. She has bagged the first Emerging Writer Award that will be given away at the third Kovalam Literary Festival in October.

In a phone interview from Palakkad, where she is all set to celebrate Ramzan with her family, Saheera talks about her literary excursions, and influences that have shaped her as a writer. “I am very happy and thankful to God for this unexpected treat during this holy month. Awards give writers an inspiration to emerge into something better than what they already are.”

Full report here Hindu

Rawness of love’s pain

When your favourite poet’s large part of work is in her mother tongue which you do not read, you naturally gravitate towards the translated short stories compiled in a lovely book where the slightly soiled garland of mogra flowers grabs your attention.

Kamala Das broke many, many traditions in her time. Not just with her poetry, but also with the fearlessness with which she lived her life. Her stories give us a glimpse into her heart and we begin to savour the language, and when we turn each page, we feel the anguish and the pain of betrayal. And when the rain begins its incessant lament against your windows, you sink deeper into the pillows and begin to realise how marvelously Shakespearean it is to read about little Appu’s loss of innocence when he looks at his mother’s trusting face (the vermillion powder that is liberally applied on the parting of her hair, with a little bit fallen on her nose) and his father who pretends that Stella who sat on his lap when mother was away; or about the sculptor who knows that her husband who is paralysed now and appreciates her beauty would have left her had she been the one paralysed and unable to earn a living.

Full report here Deccan Chronicle 

Kamala Surayya commemoration meet

The memories of Kochi’s very own Madhavikkutty aka Kamala Surayya are once again coming back to the city. Noted Malayalam writers, along with some of Madhavikkutty’s well-wishers, are coming together on March 31, the 78th birthday of the writer.

The get-together styled as ‘Snehasangamam’ will be held at the apartment at Royal Stadium Mansion, Kadavanthra, where Madhavikkutty lived for two years. As part of the programme, writer and Kerala Sahitya Akademy president M Mukundan will inaugurate an exhibition of the paintings, photos and books of Kamala Surayya at 10 a.m.

Writer Zacharia will deliver the commemorative speech at the public meeting to be held at 5 p.m. Sara Joseph, K L Mohanavarma, Sethu, Balachandran Chullikkad, Krishnan Asan and Syril Jacob will speak at the meet, which will be followed by the screening of a documentary on Kamala Surayya by Suresh Koily. Madhavikkutty’s children Monu Nalappad, Chinnan Das and Jayasurya will take part in Snehasangamam.

Full report here New Indian Express

First Kamala Surayya awards announced

M K Gopinathan Nair and Savithri Rajeev have won the first Kamala Surayya Memorial Awards in the category of story and poems respectively.

Kamala Surayya Trust's Chairman, Dr Sukumar Azhikode told reporters here today that the award under the category of story went for Nair, alias Vysakahan's book Silencer and 'Savitri Rajeev's poems. The awards, consisting of a purse of Rs 51,000, plaque and a testimonial, would be presented on March 31, he said.

Vysakhan had bagged several awards earlier including Kerala Sahitya Academy (1989) and Cherukaad award (1991). Rajeev's poems had been rendered into other languages, he added.

Full report here Outlook

Arabic version of Ya Allah released

The second edition of the Arabic translation of Ya Allah, a collection of poems written by the internationally renowned Indian novelist and poetess Kamala Surayya was released during a ceremony at the International Book Fair in Riyadh on Wednesday, March 3.

Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Abdullah Al-Jasser launched the book by giving a copy to Hamza Abbas, editor in chief of Gulf Madhyamam daily. The book is published by the Kerala-based Islamic Publishing House (IPH), the only Indian participant at the fair. This is the second time IPH is taking part in the show.

“Last year there was big demand for ‘Ya Allah’ as all the Arabic and Malayalam copies of the book were sold out during the fair,” said Abdullah Manham, public relations manager of IPH.

Surayya (former name Madhavikutty), born to an aristocratic Hindu family, embraced Islam toward the evening of her life, on Dec. 11, 1999. She was short-listed for the Nobel Prize on the strength of her poetry collection “Summer in Calcutta.” She had received several honors including the Kerala Sahitya Academy Award, the Asian World Prize and the Indira Priyadarshini Award.

Full report here Arab News

A festival of letters

From Karl Marx’s Das Capital to Chetan Bhagat’s latest Two States, from Maxim Gorky’s The Mother to Kamala Suraiyya’s Neermathalam Pootha Kaalam, from Che Guevera’s Guerrilla Warfare to nursery rhymes; the International Book Fair and Cultural Festival, being organised by the Kerala University Union on the University Collegepremise in Thiruvanathapuram, has got it all.

The fair, which opened on Monday, has various prominent publishers with their stalls exhibiting a wide range of books that are suitable for all varieties of readers.

Publishers such as Book Port, DC Books, Kerala Bookmark, Maithri Books, Sahithya Pravarthaka Cooperative Society, Manorama Publications, Chintha Publications and the State Balasahithya Institute are active in the Fair with their collection of books for sale. Government departments such as Information and Public Relations and Census Department are also a part of the Fair with their publications.

Full report here  Express Buzz

Special postal cover in honour of Kamala Surayya released

A special cover in honour of eminent poet and author Kamala Surayya, who died in May last year, was released during the 'Thunchan Literary Festival' in Tirur on February 4, reports PTI.

The cover was received by renowned author Dr Sukmar Azhikode from the Chief Post Master General of Kerala Circle, Sobha Koshi. The literary festival is held every year at the hallowed home of the father of Malayalam literature, Thunhchath Ezhuthachan, at Tirur in Malappuram district.

Those who spoke at the function included eminent Urdu writer Shamsur Rahman Faruqi and Malayalam writer and Jnanpith winner M T Vasudevan Nair. The speakers paid glowing tributes to Surayya.

Surayya had left a rich body of works including poems in English and short stories in Malayalam, penned under the pseudonym Madhavikutty.