Chennai :

Tamil writer Poomani has won this year’s Sahitya Akademi award for his historical novel ‘Agnaadi’. The novel has been called “a landmark work” and covers a period of more than 170 years from the beginning of the 19th century, revolving mainly around the lives and fortunes of several families in villages in Virudhunagar district.

The 1,200-page novel looks at caste conflicts in the region over the past two centuries. It has also won the inaugural Gitanjali literary prize.

While last year’s award winner, Joe D’Cruz’s novel ‘Aazhi Soozh Ulagu’ (Ocean-Ringed Earth), was based on imagination and creative writing, Poomani’s book is a research-based story – similar to Su Venkatesan’s ‘Kaval Kottam’ that is a saga of the kallar community. Poomani, though born in a dalit-pallar family, has written about families belonging to various communities including nadars whose socio-economic and cultural advancement in the 100 years, giving rise to a prosperous business class in Virudhunagar, is a remarkable story in modern Tamil society.

Pooliththurai Manickavasagam, aka Poomani, collected information on events and developments during the colonial period using archival sources in the region. In addition, the author also collected source materials from National Archives and the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library in New Delhi, National Library in Kolkata, and the India Office Library in London.

“Poomani is an acclaimed author and is famous for his writings on dalits. He deserves to receive the award,” said writer S Ramakrishnan.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / TNN / December 20th, 2014