Charu Nivedita aka Charu (born 18 December 1953) is a

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

writer based in

Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. His novel '' Zero Degree'' (1998) was translated into English in 2013 and longlisted that year for the annual

Jan Michalski Prize for Literature Jan Michalski Prize for Literature (French: Prix Jan Michalski) is a Swiss literary prize for any work of fiction or non-fiction published anywhere in the world in any language. It is meant to recognize authors from around the world and world liter ...

. It was also selected or the prestigious ''50 Writers, 50 Books - The Best of Indian Fiction'', published in 2013 by

HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the "Big Five (publishers), Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group USA, Hachette, Macmi ...

. Charu uses

postmodern Postmodernism encompasses a variety of artistic, cultural, and philosophical movements that claim to mark a break from modernism. They have in common the conviction that it is no longer possible to rely upon previous ways of depicting the wo ...

themes in his writing. He was selected as one among 'Top Ten Indians of the Decade 2001 - 2010' by ''

The Economic Times ''The Economic Times'' is an Indian English-language business-focused daily newspaper. Owned by The Times Group, ''The Economic Times'' began publication in 1961 and it is sold in all major cities in India. As of 2012, it is the world's secon ...

''. He is inspired by

Marquis de Sade Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade ( ; ; 2 June 1740 – 2 December 1814) was a French writer, libertine, political activist and nobleman best known for his libertine novels and imprisonment for sex crimes, blasphemy and pornography ...

and

Andal Andal (ISO 15919: Āṇḍāḷ), also known as Godhai, Nachiyar, and Godha Devi, is the only female Alvars, Alvar. (Orthodoxy posits the number of Alvars as ten, though there are other references that include Andal and Madhurakavi Alvar, ...

. In addition, he has written essays published in such magazines as '' Art Review Asia'', ''

The Asian Age ''The Asian Age'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper with editions published in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. It also prints an "international edition" in London. It was launched in February 1994. The same publishing company also pro ...

'' and ''

Deccan Chronicle ''Deccan Chronicle'' is an English-language daily newspaper based in Hyderabad, India. Founded in 1938, it was initially launched as a Weekly newspaper, weekly and later converted into a daily. The newspaper's name reflects its origins in the ...

''. His most recent novel, ''Conversations With Aurangzeb,'' was released in October 2023. It is part satire and part historical fiction, exploring the enigmatic persona of the controversial 17th-century Mughal Emperor

Aurangzeb Alamgir I (Muhi al-Din Muhammad; 3 November 1618 – 3 March 1707), commonly known by the title Aurangzeb, also called Aurangzeb the Conqueror, was the sixth Mughal emperors, Mughal emperor, reigning from 1658 until his death in 1707, becomi ...

. This Novel won the

Crossword A crossword (or crossword puzzle) is a word game consisting of a grid of black and white squares, into which solvers enter words or phrases ("entries") crossing each other horizontally ("across") and vertically ("down") according to a set of cl ...

Award in 2024.

Bibliography

Works available in English

# Zero Degree (Novel) # Marginal Man (Novel) # To Byzantium: A Turkey Travelogue # Unfaithfully Yours (Collection of articles) # Morgue Keeper (Selected short stories) # Towards a Third Cinema (Articles on Latin American Cinema) # ''Conversations With Aurangzeb''

Novels

# Existentialism and Fancy Baniyan - Tamil / Malayalam # Zero Degree - Tamil / English / Malayalam # Rasa Leela # Kaamarooba Kathaigal # Thegam # Marginal Man (Tamil title was named 'Puthiya Exile') - Tamil / English # Conversations With Aurangzeb (Tamil title was ''Naanthaan Aurangzeb'')

Short stories

# Carnataka Murasum Naveena Tamil Ilakiyathin Meethana Oru Amaipiyal Aayvum - Collection of short stories, published along with Nagaarchunan and Sylvia, aka M.D. Muthukumarasamy # Nano # Madumitha Sonna Pambu Kathaigal # Shakespeare-in Minnanjal Mugavari (Shakespeare's e-mail address) # Kadal Kanni - Short stories translated from world literature # Oorin miga azhagaana Pen – Translated short stories from world Literature # Muthukkal Pathu - Selected short stories # Morgue Keeper - Selected short stories in English in Kindle # "Diabolically Yours", in Exotic Gothic, Volume 5

Collection of articles

# Konal Pakkangal - Part 1 # Konal Pakkankal - Part 2 # Konal Pakkangal - Part 3 # Dhisai Ariyum Paravaigal # Moodupani Saalai # Varambu Meeriya Pradhigal # Thoppul Thalangal # Kalagam Kaadhal Isai # Dante-yin Siruththai # Yenakku Kuzhandhaigalai Pidikadhu # Kadavulum Nanum # Kalaiyum Kaamamum # Kadavulum Saithaanum # Sarasam Sallabam Saamiyar # Vaazhvadhu eppadi # Ketta vaarththai #

Malawi Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over and ...

endroru Desam # Azaadhi Azaadhi Azaadhi # Adhigaaram Amaidhi Sudhanthiram # Kanavugalin mozhipeyarppaalan # Manamkoththi paravai # Enge Un Kadavul? # Kadaisip Pakkangal # Vetrulagavaasiyin Diarykkuripugal # Pazhuppu Nirap Pakkangal - Part 1 # Pazhuppu Nirap Pakkangal - Part 2 # Pazhuppu Nirap Pakkangal - Part 3 # Nadodiyin Natkuripugal # Medusavin Mathukoppai # Kanavu Cappucino Konjam Chatting - 1 # Kanavu Cappucino Konjam Chatting - 2 # Kanavugalin Mozhipayarpalan # Itchaigalin Irulveli # To Byzantium - A Turkey Travelogue (Tamil title was named 'Nilavu Theyatha Thesam) - Tamil/English # Unfaithfully Yours - Collection of articles # Mazhaiya Peigirathu # Anithavin anthapuram

Play

# Rendaam Aattam # Antonin Artaud - Oru Kilarchikkaranin Udal

Cinema review

# Latin American Cinema # Cinema: Alainthuthiribavanin Azhagiyal # Theeraakaadhali # Cinema Cinema # Naragaththilirundhu oru kural # Kanavugalin Nadanam # Towards a Third Cinema # Oliyin Perunchalanam

Collection of interviews

# Ozhunginmaiyin Veriyaattam # Ichchaigalin Irulveli (Second edition of the erstwhile Paaliyal - Oru Urayaadal that comes with the new title)

Question and Answers

# Arugil Varaadhey # Aram Porul Inbam

Awards and accolades

* ''Zero Degree'' was selected for the ''50 Writers, 50 Books - The Best of Indian Fiction'', edited by Chandra Siddan and Pradeep Sebastian, published by

. * He was selected as among 'Top Ten Indians of the Decade 2001 - 2010' by ''

''. * ''Zero Degree'' (in English) was long-listed for the 2013 edition of Jan Michalski Prize. * ''Zero Degree'' was selected in 2013 as one of "fifteen lesser known yet incredible Indian novels" by Mensxp.com. *''

The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It was founded as a weekly publication in 1878 by the Triplicane Six, becoming a daily in 1889. It is one of the India ...

'' included Nivedita in its list of "Manathil Pathintha Mugangal 25" (Twenty-Five Eminent Personalities of

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

) in its

Diwali Diwali (), also called Deepavali (IAST: ''Dīpāvalī'') or Deepawali (IAST: ''Dīpāwalī''), is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions such as Jainism and Sikhism. It symbolises the spiritual v ...

Malar 2014. *He received the Kannadasan Award in 2019. *''Naanthaan Aurangzeb'' was selected as the best novel of the year 2021 by Vasagasalai. * He received the 2022 Vishnupuram award, a literary award instituted by Vishnupuram Ilakkiya Vattam. * ''Conversations With Aurangzeb'' won the

Award in 2024.

Literary contemporaries on Charu Nivedita

* Vahni Capildeo places Charu Nivedita on par with

Vladimir Nabokov Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov ( ; 2 July 1977), also known by the pen name Vladimir Sirin (), was a Russian and American novelist, poet, translator, and entomologist. Born in Imperial Russia in 1899, Nabokov wrote his first nine novels in Rus ...

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (born James Augusta Joyce; 2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influentia ...

and

Jean Genet Jean Genet (; ; – ) was a French novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist. In his early life he was a vagabond and petty criminal, but he later became a writer and playwright. His major works include the novels '' The Th ...

, in her article in the

Caribbean Review of Books ''The Caribbean Review of Books'', or ''CRB'', is a literary magazine based in Port of Spain, Trinidad, reviewing books of Caribbean interest—by Caribbean authors or about the Caribbean—and publishing original fiction, poetry, and other liter ...

. *In his foreword to the

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...

translation of ''Zero Degree'',

Paul Zacharia Mundattuchundayil Paul Scaria (born 5 June 1945), popularly known as Paul Zacharia or Zacharia, is an Indian writer of Malayalam literature. Known for his body of literary works composed of short stories, novellas, travelogues, screenplays, ess ...

wrote, "It is like an open experimental laboratory. Amidst the smoke, noxious vapors, and beautiful imagery, I experienced a wondrous journey." * Tarun Tejpal wrote that ''Zero Degree'' is remarkable for its experimental voice and its varying and shifting tonalities. * Anil Menon considers ''Zero Degree'' bold and ambitious. *Translator Jason Grunebaum considers ''Zero Degree'' "wildly exciting".

Public events

Literary festivals

* Charu Nivedita was one of the invitees for the 2010 and 2011 editions of ''Almost Island Dialogues'',

New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...

. * He was one of the invitees for the

Hay Festival The Hay Festival of Literature & Arts, better known as the Hay Festival (), is an annual literature festival held in Hay-on-Wye, Powys, Wales, for 10 days from May to June. Devised by Norman, Rhoda and Peter Florence in 1988, the festival was d ...

2010,

Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...

. *

2011,

was inaugurated at the British Deputy High Commission,

by Mike Nithavrianakis, the then Deputy High Commissioner, followed by a reading of an excerpt from Charu Nivedita's works. * He was one of the invitees for the 2012 edition of

Jaipur Literary Festival The Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF), often hailed as the "''greatest literary show on Earth''," is a renowned annual cultural and literary festival held in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Established in 2006 by writers Namita Gokhale and William Dal ...

. * He was felicitated at the Twenty Sixth Anniversary Celebration of Katha, a monthly literary magazine of Sambad (an Odia daily) at

Bhubaneswar Bhubaneswar () is the capital and the largest city of the States and territories of India, Indian state of Odisha. It is located in the Khordha district. The suburban region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as ''Chakra ...

on 10 February 2013. *He was one of the invitees for the Brahmaputra Literary Festival 2017. *He was one of the panelists in Kerala Literature Festival 2017. *He was one of the speakers the Manipal International Literature and Arts Platform 2018

Film festivals

*Charu Nivedita was invited as the Guest of Honour on 10 March 2002 at the National Folklore Support Centre Folk Festival,

. *He inaugurated the Third SIO Samvedana Vedhi International Film Festival, 2010, organised by the

Students Islamic Organisation of India The Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) is the students' wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. It was formed in 1982. According to its constitution, its aims are presenting ''Da’wah'' before students and youth and promoting virtues and mor ...

wing of the

University of Calicut The University of Calicut, also known as Calicut University, is a State ownership, state-run public university headquartered at Tenhipalam in Malappuram district of the state of Kerala, India. Established in 1968, it is the first university to ...

. *He inaugurated the International Film Festival of Tamil Nadu 2010, Chennai, organised by the International Tamil Film Academy and Seventh Channel Communications. *He inaugurated the Fourth Panchajanyam International Film Festival 2011 at Chittur, Kerala. * He inaugurated the valedictory session of the Third International Film Festival 2011,

Kochi Kochi ( , ), List of renamed Indian cities and states#Kerala, formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the Ernakulam district, district of Ernakulam in the ...

, which was jointly organised by the

Kerala State Chalachitra Academy Kerala State Motion Picture Academy is an autonomous non-profit institution based in Trivandrum, working under the Department of Cultural Affairs (Kerala), Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala. History It was founded in Augus ...

, Heart Light Association and the

Ernakulam Ernakulam () is the central business district of the city of Kochi, Kerala, India. It is the namesake of Ernakulam district. The eastern part of Kochi city is mainly known as Ernakulam, while the western part of it after the Venduruthy Bridge ...

District Information Office. * At the 2013 Chennai Rainbow Film Festival (LGBT Film Festival), presented by

Alliance Française de Madras Alliance Française of Madras ( French: L'Alliance Française de Madras) is a Franco-Indian non-profit association in Chennai, India, that works to promote the cultural relations between India and France in Tamil Nadu and also with a mission to ...

, he participated in the 'Panel Discussion on Media Portrayal of LGBT issues.'

Lectures and meets

* Charu Nivedita delivered the 2009 Paul Chirakkarode Memorial Lecture at

Kottayam Kottayam () is a city in the Kottayam district of Kerala, India. It is the district headquarters of the district and is located about north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 Indian census, Kottayam has a population of ...

. * He was invited to speak at the valedictory function of ‘Thattakaperuma,' a series of programmes to observe the second death anniversary of Kovilan, Malayalam writer at

Thrissur Thrissur (, ), Renaming of cities in India, formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the List of most populous urban agglomerations in Ke ...

on 3 June 2012. *He delivered the commemoration speech at the '

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, he fused elements of reggae, ska and rocksteady and was renowned for his distinctive voca ...

Cultural Fest' on 11 May 2010 at

. *He was one of the panelists at the

Outlook Outlook or The Outlook may refer to: Computing * Microsoft Outlook, also referred to as ''the classic Outlook'' an e-mail client and personal information management software product from Microsoft * Outlook for Windows, also referred to as ''the ...

Speak Out debate 2010, Chennai on the subject 'Moral Policing in a Democracy'.

Social activism

Charu_speaks_among_Velichikala_adivasis,_May_12,_2008.jpg, Charu Nivedita at Velichikala - Anti-clay mining protest, May 12, 2008 Velichikka_-_charu_2.jpg, Charu Nivedita at Velichikala Charu_@_athirappilly_hunger_strike_77th_day_hnuger_strike.jpg , Charu Nivedita at Plachimada Anti-Coca-Cola Relay Hunger Strike, 77th day, May 13, 2008 *He was invited as the chief guest of Sambavas' annual celebrations (a

Dalit Dalit ( from meaning "broken/scattered") is a term used for untouchables and outcasts, who represented the lowest stratum of the castes in the Indian subcontinent. They are also called Harijans. Dalits were excluded from the fourfold var ...

caste) at

Chalakudy Chalakudy () is a municipal town situated on the banks of Chalakudy River in Thrissur district of the Kerala state in India. It is the headquarters of Chalakudy taluk. It is the base camp for travellers to Athirappilly Falls and Vazhachal Falls ...

in Kerala on 11 May 2008. *He inaugurated a meeting and spoke among the adivasis protesting against wanton clay mining at Velichikala, near

Kollam Kollam (;), is an ancient seaport and the List of cities and towns in Kerala, fourth largest city in the Indian state of Kerala. Located on the southern tip of the Malabar Coast of the Arabian Sea, the city is on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake ...

. *He addressed a gathering of Plachimada villagers who were on a relay hunger strike against

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a cola soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings ...

's wanton over-drawing of groundwater and polluting water bodies. *He marched with villagers protesting against

and

Pepsi Pepsi is a Carbonated water, carbonated soft drink with a cola flavor, manufactured by PepsiCo which serves as its flagship product. In 2023, Pepsi was the second most valuable soft drink brand worldwide behind Coca-Cola; the two share a long ...

's wanton overdrawing of groundwater at Kanjikode, near

Palakkad Palakkad (), Renaming of cities in India, also known as Palghat, historically known as Palakkattussery, is a city and a municipality in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of P ...

on 29 August 2008. *He inaugurated a symposium on Mullaiperiyar Dam issue organized by 'Uyiru', a joint cultural forum of Tamil and Malayalam writers and social activists on 7 July 2012 at

'Zero Degree' in Academics

* ''Zero Degree'' was on the curriculum in Spring 2010 in a Comparative World Literature course, taught by Jordan Smith, at

California State University, Long Beach California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), also known in athletics as Long Beach State University (LBSU), is a public teaching-focused institution in Long Beach, California, United States. The 322-acre campus is the second largest in the ...

(CSULB). *

University of Rochester The University of Rochester is a private university, private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded in 1850 and moved into its current campus, next to the Genesee River in 1930. With approximately 30,000 full ...

has included ''Zero Degree'' in its translation program. * The

translation of ''Zero Degree'' is in the curriculum for postgraduate students at the Mahatma Gandhi University,

. * An IIT Guwahati research article terms Zero Degree a metamodern novel.

Quotations

* "I convert my schizoid (state) into an art." * "There is nothing like planning in my literature, at any point of time. It's something which gets written between the schizoid state and dreams. Hence, with this same reason, I cannot comment on my writing. Like how I don't accept the roles of a father, a son, a lover, a friend – I despise the role of a writer too. My writing is nothing but the brush strokes of a person trying to escape from hell." *"Hatred is a disease."

References

External links

An excerpt from Zero Degree

Morgue Keeper Short Story
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nivedita, Charu 1953 births Living people Tamil-language writers Writers from Chennai Indian postmodern writers Metafiction Surrealist dramatists and playwrights Indian surrealist writers 20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights Dramatists and playwrights from Tamil Nadu Novelists from Tamil Nadu People from Nagapattinam district