K.V. Jeyasri, a Tamil teacher from Tiruvannamalai, has won the Sahitya Akademi Award 2019 for her translation of the Malayalam novel Nilam Poothu Malarnna Naal (The day the land bloomed and blossomed) into Tamil as Nilam Poothu Malarntha Naal.
The award includes a cash prize of ₹50,000 and a copper plaque.
The novel was written by Malayalam author Manoj Kuroor, and the translated version was published by Vamsi books. This is Ms. Jeyasri’s 12th translated work. “I deem the prize a recognition of my work, though I have never translated books with the objective of getting awards. I translate books which capture my passion,” said Ms. Jeyasri, whose parents are from Kerala and have settled in Thiruvananthapuram.
Ms. Jeyasri and her sister Shylaja learnt Malayalam from their mother, while the latter leant Tamil from them. “After my father died, she (Ms. Jeyasri’s mother) immersed herself in books, and we imbibed the habit from her,” Ms. Jeyasri said.
Nilam Poothu Malarntha Naal traces the history of Paari, one of the seven philanthropist Tamil chieftains, and also explores the socio-cultural history of the Tamil land, the wars among kings and the lives of singers, poets and those practising various other professions in the Sangam period.
Ms. Jeyasri is currently translating IAS officer K.V. Mohankumar’s novel Ushnarasi . “It is about the communist movement in Kerala and culminates in its capture of power in 1957,” she said.
Accolades pour in
Several leaders and political parties expressed their appreciation for Ms. Jeyasri.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami expressed his wishes on behalf of the people of Tamil Nadu to Ms. Jeyasri.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam President M.K. Stalin too congratulated the writer and wished for her work in translation to continue and bring accolades. Paatali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S. Ramadoss lauded Ms. Jeyasri's achievement and wished for her literary journey to continue.
"Her award has brought accolades to Tamil Nadu and Tamil Literature. We appreciate her exceptional work with regard to translating malayalam novels into Tamil," said K. Balakrishnan, CPI(M) State Secretary.
