Contents
Jayakanthan
Writing Tamil fiction that confronted social prejudice and the lives of marginalised people.
Unnaipol Oruvan · Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal
- Born
- 24 April 1934
- Birthplace
- Cuddalore, India
- Died
- 8 April 2015
More people
Jayakanthan
Jayakanthan was an Indian writer, editor and filmmaker. His novels and short stories examined relationships, class and moral judgement with unusual directness.
Early life
Early departure
Left formal schooling young and moved to Madras in search of work.
Printing press
Worked as a compositor in a Communist Party press, where reading and political discussion shaped him.
Career
- 1950s
Writing
Began publishing stories in magazines.
- 1964
Filmmaking
Adapted Unnaipol Oruvan for the screen.
- 1972
Sahitya Akademi
Won the Tamil award for Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal.
- 2002
Jnanpith
Received the major Indian literary award.
Selected work
Unnaipol Oruvan
A story he also adapted as a film.
Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal
A novel confronting judgement and sexual morality.
Oru Nadigai Natakam Parkiral
A novel about an actor and her relationships.
Beyond work
Family
Married schoolteacher Gnanambikai; they had three children.
Politics
Moved from Communist Party involvement into other political affiliations and contested an election.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Biography and career evidence ↗Photo: Arunankapilan. CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
