Thiripurasundari Srinivasan (21 March 1921 – 7 January 1987), better known by her

pen name A pen name or nom-de-plume is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen name may be used to make the author's na ...

Lakshmi, was an Indian writer from

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 ...

Biography

Thiripurasundari was born in Thottiyam, Tamil Nadu. Her parents were Dr. Srinivasan and Pattammal (Sivakami). She was educated at

Thottiyam Thottiyam is a Town and Taluk in Tiruchirappalli district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is situated 60 km north-west of Tiruchirapalli on Tiruchy-Namakkal State Highway (SH-25) and further it connects Namakkal-Salem-Bangalore Natio ...

, Musiri, and Holy Cross School. She studied at Stanley Medical College and became a medical doctor. She began publishing short stories in ''

Ananda Vikatan ''Ananda Vikatan'' is a Tamil-language weekly magazine published from Chennai, India. History ''Ananda Vikatan'' was started by Late Pudhoor Vaidyanadhaiyar in February 1926 as a monthly publication. The issue for December 1927 was not publishe ...

'' while still in college. She used "Lakshmi" as her pen name. Her first short story, ''Thagunda thandanaya?'' (lit. An apt punishment?) was published in March, 1940. Her first novel to be published was ''Bhavani''. After completing her medical education, she practiced 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 ...

. She married Kannabiran in 1955 and moved to

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

, where she lived for the next twenty-two years. Her husband died in 1966. She returned to India in 1977 and took up full-time writing. She died in 1987. Thiripurasundari was a prolific writer who has published hundreds of short stories and novels. Her novels ''Penn manam'' and ''Mithila Vilas'' were awarded the ''Tamil Valarchi Kazhagam'' price. In 1984, she was awarded the

Sahitya Akademi Award The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...

for

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 ...

for her novel ''Oru Kaveriyai pola'' (lit. Like the River

Kaveri The Kaveri (also known as Cauvery) is a Rivers of India, major river flowing across Southern India. It is the third largest river in the region after Godavari River, Godavari and Krishna River, Krishna. The catchment area of the Kaveri basin i ...

).Tamil Sahitya Akademi Awards 1955-2007

Sahitya Akademi The Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India. Founded on 12 March 1954, it is supported by, though independent of the Indian government. Its off ...

Official website. Her ''Kanchanaiyin Kanavu'' and ''Penn Manam'' and sooryakandham, two of her best works, were made into Tamil films - ''Kanchana''(1952) and ''Iruvar Ullam'' (1963). Most of her work was based on family issues. Her autobiographical books were published in two volumes, titled ''Kadhaasiriyaiyin Kadhai''. In 2009, when the

Government of Tamil Nadu The Government of Tamil Nadu () is the administrative body responsible for the governance of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Chennai is the capital of the state and houses the state executive, legislature and head of judiciary. Under the Const ...

offered to nationalise her works, her legal heirs refused the offer.

Partial bibliography

In her writing career, Lakshmi has published over 1000 short stories and over 150 novels. Some of her novels include *Adhisiya Raagam *Adutha Veedu *Arakku Maaligai *Asoka maram pookavillai *Aththai *Aval oru Thendral *Aval Thayagiral *Avalukkendru oru idam *Azhagin Aradhanai *Bhavani *En manaivi *En veedu *Gangaiyum Vandhal *Irandaavadhu malar *Irandaavadhu thenilavu *Indrum naalayum *Iniya unarvae ennai kolladhae *Irandu pengal *Irulil tholaindha unmai *Ivala en magal *Ivanum oru parasuraman *Jeyanthi Vandhaal *Kaaliyin kangal *Kadaisi varai *Kadhaasiriyaiyin Kadhai 1 *Kadhaasiriyaiyin Kadhai 2 *Kadhavu Thirandaal *Kai maariya podhu *Kanavan amaivedhallam *Kashmi kathi *Kodai megangal *Koondukullae oru pachchai kili *Kooramal sanniyasam *Kazhuthil vizhundha maalai *Maragadham *Manam oru ranga rattinam *Mann kudhirai *Mannum pennum *Maru magal *Marupadiyuma? *Mayamaan *Meendum vasandham *Meendum oru seethai *Meendum pirandhaalin *Meendum penn manam *Mithilaa vilaas *Mohini vanthaal *Murugan sirithaan *Mogathirai *My name is T.G.Karthik *Nadhi moolam *Nalladhor veenai *Nayakkar magal *Nirka Neramillai *Nyayangal marumpodhu *Nigazhdha kadhaigal *Neela pudavai *Needhikku kaigal neelam *Ooonrukol *Oru Kaveriyai pola *Oru Sivappu pachayagiradhu *Pannayar magal *Pavalamalli *Punidha oru pudhir *Pudhai manal *Peyar solla maatten *Penn manam *Pennin parisu *Radhaavin thirumanam *Rama Rajyam *Roja vairam *Srimathi maithili *Sasiyin kadidhangal *Thirumbi paarthal *Thunai *Thai pirakattum *Thottathu veedu *Uravugal pirivathillai *Uyarvu *Uravin kural *Uyire odivaa *Vanitha *Vasanthikku vandha aasai *Vadakke oru sandhippu *Vaazha ninaithaal *Veerathevan kottai *Velicham vandhadhu *Vellai nirathiloru poonai

Awards and recognitions

*''Tamil Valarchi Kazhagam'' award for ''Penn manam'' and ''Mithila Vilas'' *Sahitya Akademi Award for Tamil in 1984

References

External links

Lakshmi Profile at Koottanchoru blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thiripurasundari, Lakshmi 1921 births 1987 deaths Women writers from Tamil Nadu Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Tamil Tamil writers Indian Tamil people 20th-century Indian women writers 20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Indian short story writers 20th-century Indian novelists Indian women short story writers Indian women novelists Screenwriters from Tamil Nadu Tamil-language writers 20th-century Indian screenwriters