Rajam Krishnan

Rajam Krishnan (1924 or 1925 – 2014) was a prominent feminist Tamil writer from Tamil Nadu, India, known for her extensively researched social novels. Despite little formal education, she was largely autodidact and began publishing in her twenties. Her works often depicted the lives of marginalized communities, such as poor farmers, salt pan workers, and female laborers, and she was credited with setting a new trend in Tamil literature through her in-depth social investigations. Krishnan authored over 80 books, including forty novels, twenty plays, and several short stories, and was also a translator from Malayalam to Tamil. She received numerous accolades, including the New York Herald Tribune International Award for a short story (1950), the Kalaimagal award (1953), and the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1973 for her novel 'Verukku Neer' (Water for the Roots). Her works, such as "Water for the Roots- Sahitya Akademi Award Winning Tamil Novel" and "Back Again and Again - Maari Maarip Pinnum," explore the intertwining of tradition and modernity and express her anguish over persistent societal inequities.