Imaiyam
Imaiyam is one of the most acclaimed contemporary voices in Tamil literature, celebrated for his unflinching portrayals of caste, gender, and everyday injustices rooted in rural Tamil Nadu. A government schoolteacher by profession and a novelist by conviction, he brings to literature a stark realism shaped by lived experience and deep empathy.
His debut novel, Koveru Kazhudhaigal (1994), shook the Tamil literary world with its raw honesty and compelling narrative about a Dalit community. Over the years, Imayam has authored eight novels, eight short story collections, and a novella—each work echoing the lives of the marginalized, especially women, with remarkable sensitivity and clarity.
Books like Pethavan (2013), which addresses honour killings, and Selladha Panam (2018), which earned him the Sahitya Akademi Award, have cemented his place as a writer of national importance. A recipient of multiple prestigious awards, including the Kuvempu Rashtriya Puraskar and the Iyal Award, Imayam’s writing stands out for its linguistic authenticity, moral urgency, and the quiet dignity of its characters.
