R. Ranganathan (7 October 1938 – 27 July 2016), known professionally as Gnanakoothan, was an Indian poet. Writing in
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nati ...
, he was the author of ''Anru veru kizhamai'' ("That was another day"), ''Suriyanukku Pinpakkam'' ("The rear side of Sun"), ''Kadarkaraiyil Sila Marankal'' ("Few trees in the seashore"), ''Meendum Avarkal'' ("Them again"), and ''Pencil Padangal'' ("Pencil pictures"). He was one of the modern Tamil poets in
Tamil literature
Tamil literature has a rich and long literary tradition spanning more than two thousand years. The oldest extant works show signs of maturity indicating an even longer period of evolution. Contributors to the Tamil literature are mainly from T ...
, and a regular contributor to topical columns in Tamil periodicals such as Kalki, Kalachuvadu and Uyirmai. He was one of the founder-editors of the little magazine Kacatathapara along with N. Krishnamurthy, Sa. Kandasamy, and N. Muthusamy. He started and ran Gavanam for a brief period. He was also one of the editors of Zha, along with Atmanam and R. Rajagopalan. He contributed to several little magazines including Maiyam, Vrutcham (now Naveena Vrutcham), and Kanaiyazhi. His works also appeared in little magazines like Illakkiya Vattam of Ka. Na. Subramaniam and C. Mani's Nadai, in which his poems appeared first. His works are known for their social satire. He died on 27 July 2016 at the age of 78.
Career
He entered the field of poetry through the poem Prachanai (The problem). He has been writing poems since 1968. Antru Veru Kilamai, Sooriyanukku pinpakkam, Kadarkariyil Sila Marangal and Meendum Avargal are his famous works. In 1998 a collection of poems Gnanakoothan kavithaigal was published.
[LIS India Tamil Literature]
Official website.
Works
*''Anru veru kizhamai'' (That Was Another Day)
*''Suriyanukku Pinpakkam'' (The Rear Side of the Sun)
*''Kadarkaraiyil Sila Marankal'' (A few Trees in the Seashore)
*''Meendum Avarkal'' (Again They)
*''Pencil Padangal'' (Pencil Pictures)
*''Gnanakoothan Kavithaigal'' (Gnanakoothan's Poems)
*''En Ulam Nitri Nee'' (You Are in My Heart)
*''Imbar Ulagam'' (The Present World)
*''Gnanakoothan Kavithaigal: Muzhu Thoguppu'' (Gnanakoothan's Poems: Complete Collection)
Awards
* SARAL Award for poetry in 2010.
[SARAL award list]
Retrieved 5 July 2013.
*
Vishnupuram Award
Vishnupuram Award is a literary award instituted by '' Vishnupuram Ilakkiya Vattam'', the literary organization created by writer Jeyamohan and his readers. The award was named after the writer's famous novel in Tamil, ''Vishnupuram''. This awa ...
(2014) for contributions to literature, awarded by
Vishnupuram Ilakkiya Vattam
Vishnupuram Ilakkiya Vattam ( ta, விஷ்ணுபுரம் இலக்கிய வட்டம்) is a literary organization created by Tamil writer Jeyamohan and his readers and fans. It is named after his noted work Vishnupuram. It ...
Contribution to films
He was one of the Tamil writers involved in the making of the film ''
Marudhanayagam
''Marudhanayagam'' is an unfinished Indian historical drama film directed and produced by Kamal Haasan under his Raaj Kamal Films International banner. The script was co-written by Haasan, along with novelist Sujatha, and the pair started work ...
'' alongside Tamil writers ''
Puviarasu'' and ''
Sujatha''.
References
External links
Questioning boundariesTraversing from past to presentTamil poems find an English audience Five decades of Tamil Poetry Why this indifference SARAL award list
A slice of the sixties
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gnanakoothan
Tamil poets
1938 births
Tamil-language writers
2016 deaths