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S. Ramakrishnan எஸ். ராமகிருஷ்ணன்
Ramakrishnan in c. 2016
Born	(1966-04-13) 13 April 1966 (age 58) Mallankinaru, composite Ramanathapuram district, Madras State (now Virudhunagar district, Tamil Nadu), India
Spouse	Chandraprabha
Children	Hari Akash
Parent	N.Shanmugam S.Mangayarkarasi
Website	sramakrishnan.com

S. Ramakrishnan is a writer from Tamil Nadu, India. He is a full-time writer who has been active over the last 27 years in diverse areas of Tamil literature like short stories, novels, plays, children's literature and translations. He has written and published 9 novels, 20 collections of short stories, 3 plays, 21 books for children, 3 books of translation, 24 collections of articles, 10 books on world cinema, 16 books on world literature including seven of his lectures, 3 books on Indian history, 3 on painting and 4 edited volumes including a Reader on his own works. He also has 2 collections of interviews to his credit. He won the Sahitya Akademi award in 2018 in Tamil language category for his novel Sanjaaram.

Writing career

About his first book he says: "I was not a writer when my first book 'veLiyil oruvan' was published. Until then I was just writing whatever I wanted to write, but I was not a writer; even after my first book came out…" and "…but now I know the direction, purpose and strength of the written word. I didn't know that then. It is like how a child with a camera takes pictures of whatever she sees… I was like that child."

His short stories and articles have been translated and published in English, Malayalam, Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada and French.

His novel Upa Paandavam, written after a deep research into Mahabharata, was selected as the best novel in Tamil. It was widely well received by the readers.

The novel Nedum Kuruthi, which spoke of the dark and tragic existential experiences of the tribe of oppressed people cruelly stamped as criminal tribe by the British, secured the Gnanavaani award for the Best Novel.

His novel Yaamam, written with Chennai city's three hundred years history as back drop, is another widely appreciated creation.

His Urupasi is a novel that conveys the stirring mental agonies of a young man who was unemployed because he took his degree majoring in Tamil language.

He became a celebrated author to lakhs of readers through his series of articles like Thunai Ezhuthu, Desandhri, Kathavilaasam, Kelvikuri and Siridhu Velicham which appeared in the highly circulated Tamil weekly, Ananda Vikatan. He is the first writer in Tamil to have created a broad circle of readers for his columns. The compilation book of the articles, Thunai Ezhuthu, has created a new history by selling almost a lakh of copies.

Writing style

His short stories are noted for their modern story-telling style in Tamil. He says in an interview: "As a storyteller, it's vital that I observe people, their mannerisms and keep myself aware of present trends…" and "…I keep myself surrounded by youngsters who I learn a lot from. I think it is such company that keeps me revitalised to write more and more stories".

He explains the magical nature of his stories quite simply – "The reason why my stories have a magical aspect is because I am unable to separate Magic from Realism."

Literary activism

A great story-teller, he has organized over thirty story-telling camps for school children, all over Tamil Nadu. He has organized a special story-telling camp for children with dyslexia-related learning disabilities.

He says in an interview: "We have a rich tradition of PaaNans and Koothars going around places singing and creating poetry in the Sangam period. I am just a modern day PaaNan who goes to places, meets people, talks to them and tells their stories."

He had, as Editor, brought out the literary publication, Atcharam for five long years.

His website www.sramakrishnan.com serves as a resource for serious literature for young readers. It has become an important website where contemporary literary innovations, world literature and world cinema congregate in a fertile ambience. It has secured 5 million visits from readers all over the world.

Publishing House 'Desanthiri'

In December 2017, he started his own publishing house in the name of one of his most famous books, Desanthiri. It was started to publish his own works, old ones which are not in print at present as well as his upcoming works.

Films and other adoptions (contributions in movie and theatre performances)

A connoisseur of world cinema, he has compiled an introductory compendium on world cinema with thousand pages called Ulaga Cinema. He has written ten important books on cinema such as Ayal Cinema, Pather Panchali, Chithirangalin Vichithirangal and Paesa Therindha Nizhalgal. Irul Inithu Oli Inithu, Chaplinudan Pesungal.

He has organized screenplay writing camps for short film directors and students of cinema creation in important cities like Chennai, Coimbatore, etc.

His collection of 9 plays, Aravaan (Uyirmmai Publications), 3 plays, Sindhubaadhin Manaivi (Kayalkavin Publications) and Sooriyanai sutrum boomi (translated plays, Kayalkavin Publications) create new possibilities for theater space on facing power, breaking up historical and cultural images and focusing on psychological eccentricities. These plays have received good appreciation while they were staged and have been performed at the national drama festival of Sangeetha Natak Academy. The play 'Aravaan', included in this collection has been translated in to English, Malayalam and Kannada.

The short film Karna Motcham with his screenplay won the National Award for Best Short Film and went on to win, so far, 27 important awards in Indian and International Film Festivals.

Another short film Matraval has won three coveted awards as the best Tamil Short Film.

He has worked as Screenplay and Dialogue writer in Tamil feature films like Baba, Album, Chandaikkozhi, Unnale Unnale, Bhima, Dhaam Dhoom, Chikku Bukku, Modhi Vilaiyadu, Yuvan Yuvathi and Avan Ivan, Samar and Idam PoruL EvaL.

Rewards and recognition

Three Doctorates and 21 M.Phil. Degrees have been awarded to scholars for researching into his writings. His books have been prescribed as part of syllabi of 2 Universities and 9 Autonomous Colleges.

Bibliography

Novels

Short stories

Plays

Children literature

Seven Lectures

Essays on World Literature

Essays on Poetry

Essays on Painting

Essays on Cinema

Anthologies of Essays

History - Non fiction

Interviews

Other books - Edited volumes

Translation

Filmography

Shortfilms

See also

• List of Indian writers

References

1. "Welcome to Sramakrishnan". www.sramakrishnan.com. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
2. "Tamil writer S Ramakrishnan gets Sahitya Akademi award". The New Indian Express. 5 December 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
3. Kolappan, B. (5 December 2018). "Tamil novel Sancharam bags Sahitya Akademi Award". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
4. "Interview". Puthagam Pesudhu: 42. June 2011. வெளியில் ஒருவன் என்று ஒரு புத்தகம் வரும்போது நான் எழுத்தாளன் இல்லை. அந்தப் புத்தகம் வரும்வரைக்கும் ஏதோ எனக்கு விருப்பமான விஷயங்களை எழுதிக்கொண்டிருந்த ஆளாக இருந்தேனே தவிர எழுத்தாளராக இல்லை. அந்தப் புத்தகம் வந்தபோதும் ஆகவில்லை'…… 'இப்போது எனக்கு எழுத்தின் திசை தெரியும். அதன் நோக்கம், வலிமை தெரியும். அன்றைக்கு அது தெரியாது. எப்படியென்றால் கையில் கேமரா உள்ள ஒரு குழந்தை கண்ணுக்குத் தட்டுப்படுவதையெல்லாம் படம் பிடிக்குமே… அதுமாதிரியான ஒரு ஆள்தான் (அப்போது).
5. "Interview". ET Madras Plus. 3 February 2012.
6. "Interview". Puthagam Pesudhu: 37. June 2011. என் கதைகளில் கூட மிகைத்தன்மை ஏன் இருக்கிறதென்றால், எதார்த்தத்தையும் மிகைத்தன்மையையும் என்னால் பிரித்துப்பார்க்க முடியவில்லை.
7. "Interview". Puthagam Pesudhu: 33. June 2011. சங்க காலத்தில் பாணர்கள், கூத்தர்கள் ஊர் ஊராகச் சென்று பாடி இசைத்து கவிதை சொன்ன மரபு நமக்கு இருக்கிறது. நான் நவீன காலத்து பாணனாக இருக்கிறேன். நான் ஊர் ஊராகப் போய் மக்களைச் சந்தித்து பேசிப் பழகி அவர்களின் கதைகளைச் சொல்லக்கூடிய பாணன் தான்.
8. "தேசாந்திரி - Desanthiri Pathippagam | S Ramakrishnan". Retrieved 15 March 2023.
9. "S Ramakrishnan on winning the Tagore Literary Award".
10. "Welcome to Tamil Literary Garden". tamilliterarygarden.com. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
11. Tharamaniyil Karapaanpoochigal - Tamil Short film, 19 September 2012, retrieved 15 March 2023

Video links

• Actor Rajinikanths speech at S.Ramakrishnan's felicitation function
• Vairamuthu speech at S Ramakrishnan felicitation function
• KARNAMOTCHAM-short film
• Kokkarako-short film
• Tharamaniyil Karapaanpoochigal-short film
• S.Ramakrishnan speech about Dostoyevsky
• S.Ramakrishnan speech about Hiroshima
• Ki.Ra is a True Indian Writer - S.Ramakrishnan Speech
• Karl Marx History - S.Ramakrishnan speech

External links

• Official Website

• Biography
• India
• Literature

• Tamil screenwriters
• Children's writers in Tamil
• 1971 births
• Living people
• Tamil-language writers
• Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Tamil