The third day of the Kerala Literature Festival started with the Straight Talk on the focus language of the fest, Tamil. The session on Tamil writing in the Indian Landscape hosted A. R. Venkatachalapathy with an introduction by AR Venkatachalapathy.
A historian, author and translator from Tamil Nadu, AR Venkatachalapathy, addressed the audience with his insights on Tamil literature and its evolution over years. While Tamil tops the ladder in Indian languages, he quoted saying that he’s addressed as ‘Ezhuthalan’ which implies that he’s in command of language. During the talk, he spoke about the trends in Tamil writing during the last decade and the influence of Latin American literature on Tamil writers. He also noted the changes happening in the culture and tradition of the Tamil writers. He cited examples of Tamil writers like Perumal Murugan, who was in the audience and Salma, a Tamil writer from a conservative Muslim family.
“The Tamil writer is no more a person who is confined into Tamil language. Everything from the attire to lifestyle has drastically changed. A writer puts a lot of emotions in his writings but, literature has become a commodity these days,” he said. "The diversity of Tamil writers are important. It’s to be noted that writers from various regions and communities write about their life," he added. He also mentioned his never ending interest in the craft of writing.