Her works are often loud protests against the destroyers of Mother Earth. Readers can experience the intensity of poet Sugathakumari’s purpose at an ongoing exhibition at the University Library in Thiruvananthapuram.
The collection has some of the original prints of her earlier works, published in weeklies during 1958-60. From a bound copy of Muthuchippi , which features one of her earliest works published in 1961, to ‘Kattukiliyude pattu’ and ‘Mahabharatam,’ recently published by the Kerala State Institute of Children’s Literature, most of her contributions are featured in the exhibition.
Assistant Librarian and co-ordinator of the exhibition R. Girija says the exhibition is a tribute to the poet, who was recently awarded the Saraswati Samman for her poetry collection titled ‘Manalezhuthu.’
“More importantly, this is an opportunity to read almost all of her works. In the earlier days, she had written in the pen name of SK. We are yet to get these works, but we have tried to display the rest,” says Girija.
An interesting display is the digital print of ‘Kumara Sambhavam’, a poetic drama published by Mathrubhumi for its anniversary edition in 1970. Reviews of her poems and opinions on her work by noted poets and journalists are also part of this section.
Her poems are a subject of research in many universities. A collection of seven theses done at Kerala University covering various aspects of her works are also on display.
For M.R. Nisha, a research scholar at the university, this exhibition proved to a timely blessing. “My research is a study on the portrayal of women in the poems of Sugathakumari and O.N.V. Kurup. This exhibition will definitely help my research,” she added.
The exhibition also details achievements and awards, including 88 national and international awards and 27 memberships in well-known institutions and cultural societies.
The exhibition will conclude on May 4.
