Signature by Puviyarasu (Collection of Tamil Poetry)

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Signature (Kaiyoppam), is an engaging collection of poems with myriad moods - of authenticity of sentiment, introspection, philosophical reflection, anguish at social hypocrisy, wonderment about nature, a child's charm and poetic finesse. Dignity, sensitivity and studied understatement in the poems in this collection leave a deep imprint on us.

Puviyarasu (b. 1930) is a leading Tamil poet, playwright and translator. Inspired by the Marxian ideology, Puviyarasu started publishing his poems from his early twenties. Born in a village in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu, he worked as a Tamil teacher for more than thirty years. He was one of the founders of the Vanambadi literary movement, and wrote poetry on the issues of the common man in common man's language. In his literary career he has published more than 80 books which include five poetry collections, two plays and many translations including Shakespeare, Khalil Gibran, Omar Khayyam, Osho, Dostoevsky and Rabindranath Tagore into Tamil. He won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2009 for Kaiyoppam. He is also a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award for translation.

K.S. Subramanian served in the Government of India for nearly one and a half decades before retiring as Director. He has translated extensively from Tamil to English and has over 35 literary works encompassing novels, short novels and collections of poetry, short stories and essays to his credit. His writings on literary, social and development themes have appeared in seven volumes.

When my poetry-collection Kaiyoppam (Signature) won the Sahitya Akademi Award, I was delighted. It has led to a wider attention and recognition of this work.

This English translation gives me immense joy. Sahitya Akademi is a great institution, taking prize-winning literary works to other Indian languages.

All creative writers owe a deep debt of gratitude to Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru, who established this fine institution to foster relational links amongst Indian languages and amongst writers.

Indian Literature, a journal published by the Akademi, is a useful window to the overall literary trends in India. Beyond this exposure in capsules, the publication by the Akademi of many works in Indian languages provides an opportunity to savour those literary works.

I zealously treasure many literary works of other Indian languages published by the Akademi. The writers of my generation and aficionados of serious literature are still searching for the lost 'In search of Blue Jay'. I appeal to the Sahitya Akademi to republish such immortal classics.

I read the English translation of my collection Kaiyoppam. Dr. K.S. Subramanian has brought to the world, by his excellent rendition in English the fine literary creations of eminent writers like Jayakanthan. He has a deep perception and involvement in Tamil literature from the Sangam Age to Modern Tamil Literature including Tamil New Poetry. Thanks to his innate talent in translation, this English version reads like my original works and not as a translation. I deem this a great honour he has conferred on me. I am lost in gratitude for this fine gesture.

My heartfelt thanks to my friends in the Sahitya Akademi for bringing out this English version and giving it a wider reach.