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Name |
Sivasankari |
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Date
of Birth |
14th October 1942
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Profession |
Writer, Compere, Novelist, Activist |
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Birth Place |
Chennai, India |
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Mother Tongue |
Tamil |
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Religion |
Hindu |
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Nationality |
Indian |
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Languages known |
Tamil, English, Sanskrit |
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Family |
Husband – Chandrasekar
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Education |
Bachelor of Science (Zoology)
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Debut (Published) |
‘Avargal Pesattum’ (Kalki)
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Founder |
* 'Prajarajyam', 2008
* Sivasankari Charitable Foundation (CCF), 2006
* Sivasankari charitable trust (CCT), 1998
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Position held |
* Board Member of the Central Film Censor Board for three years
* Founder of AGNI(Awakened Group for National Integration)
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Her unique characteristics |
* Awareness on social issues
* Special sensitivity to social problems
* Commitment to set people thinking
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Initiation into literature |
When a child is born in a family, people of her community ask those women who do not have children, to bathe a grinding stone imagining it to be a child. All the women in the household stand around and tell the women to bathe the 'child' properly, otherwise, it will catch a cold and this happened with her. |
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Her works |
Short stories – 150
Novels – 30
Travelogues – 14
Biographies – 2
Collection of Essays - 7
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Her noticeable writings |
* Oru Manithanin Kathai
* Avan
* Nandu
* Verillatha Marangal
* Amma Sonna Kathaigal
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Favourite
themes |
* Drug Abuse
* Alcoholism
* Old Age Problem
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Biographies |
* Indiravin Kathai (The story of Indira)
* Appaa (Father - The story of G.D.Naidu)
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Thodars in Chinnathirai |
Hindhi : Subah
Tamil :
* Oru Manithanin Kaathai
* Oru Pennin Kaathai (Chennai Doordarshan)
* ‘Thiriveni Sangamam’ as ‘Nimmathi Ungal
Choice’
* ‘Mella Mella’ as ‘Sontham’ (Sun TV)
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Stories as Films |
Tamil – 6
Telugu – 1
Kannada – 1
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Talk show |
Netru, Indru, Naalai (Sun TV)
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Before writing "Indiraavin Kathai" |
* She had a long conversation with Mrs. Gandhi
* Traveled with Rajiv Gandhi to write about him
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Library of Congress has |
72 titles of her works
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Co-founder |
* AGNI(Awakened Group for National Integration) with Mr. Maalan (1986)
* Rajaji De-addiction centre
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About AGNI |
A citizen’s movement, which believes in betterment of society through individual awakening.
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AGNI believes |
* Any problem, when attacked at various angles simultaneously is sure to lose its shape and virility.
* Strengthening legislation to curb drug trafficking and drug-abuse effectively.
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Activities through AGNI
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* Bharat Dharshan
* Bridges
* Kavirrathri
* Script writing Workshop
* Spot The Talent
* ANBU (Awareness Needed for Betterment of Underpriviledged)
* Let us Say NO to Drugs
* Survey on level of Addiction
* Television Spots
* Seeding
* Alcoholism - A treatable disease
* AGNI's task Force
* Thamizhukkum Amudenru Per
* Awarness Campaign
* Rajaji Centre for De-Addiction
* AGNI Akshar Awards
* LEAP (Leadership Education Action Programme)
* Meet The Person
* Children's Day Celebrations
* Counseling
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AGNI Trust Address |
2, First Link Street,
Karpagam Gardens,
CHENNAI - 600 020
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Ambitious Project |
KNIT India Through Literature
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Present Project details |
* ‘KNIT India through Literature’ with a mission to meet and interview the statewide writers of all the 18 Indian languages that are approved by the VIIIth Schedule of Indian constitution.
* Interviews accompanied by a creative work of the respective writer, are published along with her travelogues of the regions, as also an in-depth article by a scholar on the cultural and literary heritage of the various languages.
* The Tamil and English editions of the first volume the ‘South’, the second volume the ‘East’ and the third volume the ‘West’ of this project ‘KNIT India through Literature’ have already been published.
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Former member of |
* National High Level Committee for Awareness on Drug Abuse.
* Senate of Bharathidasan University – Trichy
* Avinashilingam College of Home Science – Coimbatore
* Gandhigram Rural University – Gandhigram
* Advisory Committee of AIR
* Advisory Board of the Central Sahithya Academy.
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Designated as |
Board Member of the Central Film Censor Board for three years till 1998.
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Honored |
* By The Madras & Coromandel Jaycees as an ‘Outstanding Young Person’ in the field of Journalism (1976).
* Visited U.S.A. under International Writing Program [IWP] and International Visiting Program [IVP] (1986).
* By BHARAT ELECTRONICS (1991).
* By TELUGU ARTS ACADEMY (1991).
* As one of the fifty women who have influenced the evolution of independent India under the title ‘Women Who’ve made India’ by the magazine Femina (1997).
* As ‘Sinthanai Selvi’ by All Women’s Organizations of Trichy (1998).
* First Tamil writer with the prestigious ‘Honorary Citizen award’ by Dr. Jerry Kuhaida, the Hon. Mayor of the City of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A. (1999).
* As the ‘Woman of 1999-2000’ by the International Women’s Association.
* As one of the four writers whose works were recorded in their own voices for the Archives of U.S. Library of Congress to mark the Bicentennial Celebration of the Library (2000).
* With ‘The Roll of Honor’ (2000) by The Mylapore Academy, for Creative Awareness to Social Issues Through Stories in TV serials for the year 1999.
* By the All India Radio (AIR) by recording her interview in Tamil on her life & times for their Archival programme (2003).
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Academic recognition |
* Madurai Kamaraj University conducted a two-day seminar with 8 Professors of five participating Universities, exclusively on Sivasankari’s works.
* More than eighty University research scholars have so far engaged in research of her works for M.Phil and Ph.D. programs in literature.
* Member of the Delegation that participated in the International Women’s Meet at Moscow.
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Awards |
* Kasturi Srinivasan award for ‘Paalangal’ (1983-84).
* Dr. Rajah Sir Annamalai Chettiar award for ‘Chinna Noolkanda nammai siraippaduthuvathu?’
* ‘Bharathiya Basha Parishad’ award from a Calcutta based literary forum for ‘Verilladha Marangal’ (1989-90).
* Tamil Annai award from Tamil University, Thanjavur (1989).
* Rajiv Gandhi National Integration award for taking up the project ‘KNIT India through Literature’.
* Best Children’s Book of the Year (1998) from Tiruppur Tamil Sangam for ‘Amma sonna kathaigal’.
* Premchand Rashtriya Sahithya Samman award by Rastriya Hindi Academy, Calcutta (2001)
* ‘For the Sake of Honor Award’ by The Association of Book Printers & Sellers of South India for the service rendered to society through writings (1987).
* Rajiv Virudu award by the TamilNadu Congress Committee (1988).
* ‘For the Sake of Honor Award’ from Rotary Club of Madras (1989).
* ‘Melvin Jones Award’, the highest International award from Lions International Organization (1990).
* Sree Ratna award by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chennai Kendra & Director K. Subrahmanyam Memorial Trust (1998).
* Manushree, a national award by Athimabbe Foundation, Bangalore (1998)
* Bharati Award from Vanavil Cultural Centre, Chennai (2002)
* Nayagi-2005 Award from Inner Wheel Club of Thanjavur (2005)
* Life Time Achievement Award by Rotary Club of Chennai Kilpauk (2006)
* Astitva Award by Zee TV & Archana Trust Suburban, Mumbai for Excellence as an Author 2006.
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Interesting Facts |
* A chapter of the book "Paalangal" has been recorded in her voice for the Archives of U.S. Library of Congress.
* The Singapore Library has her "47 Days" in its collection.
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Philosophy |
"I care therefore I share"
“I should grow more and die as a good human being. Nobody is born as Hindu, Christian etc. These are acquired roles. A writer is a role that I have donned for the past 38 yrs. If my role of a human being is disturbed by the role of a writer, then I will happily lay down the role of a writer.”
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Best moments |
* Accompanied twice with late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi for CHOGM foreign drip.
* Interview with Mr.Rajiv Gandhi, Mother Teresa and Mrs.Indra Gandhi.
* While participated in International writers conference in Iowa, USA.
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Her appeal |
* Readability
* Identifiable content and natural
* Everyday prose
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She is a combination of |
* High IQ
* Active curiosity
* Courage to initiate action and the tenacity to follow it through
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Well trained in |
* Bharadhanatyam
* Classical music
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Adventurous travel |
* River rafting
* Deep sea walking
* Para-sailing
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Her husband’s view on not adopting a child |
"It is human nature to save everything for your child. If you have ten rupees, you tend to save nine rupees for your child. Instead of adopting one child and spending for that child alone, why couldn't we adopt many, many children and give them education?"
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Her views |
Modern India :
“There is lot to admire in the now-gen, but the young are running away from the reality of belonging. Youngsters need to realise that I should like to be like my parents. Sixty thousand thoughts occur on an average in your mind in a day. If you can focus on three to four positive thoughts, they will chase any number of negative thoughts away”.
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Quotes |
"I am a writer and incidentally a woman. I wrote on women's issues because they affected me. The minute the writer is in conflict with the humanist in me, I'll put the pen down."
"I don't like being called a social activist or a social worker, as it is our duty to give back something to the society that has given us so much"
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Views about her 'Knit India Through Literature, Vol I' |
K. Hari Warrier (Deccan Herald) :
"Knit India ranks not just as a collection of interviews and excerptrs, but as a truly literary work in its own right… It is like a fountain, periodical sips frim which will sustain and enrich the reader's life and increase his knowledge of his own country and its literature."
Ashokamitran (The Hindu) :
"Knit India through Literature - The South is an extremely elegant volume, produced in "the best of EastWest traditions". There is so much to read and contemplate in it."
Indian Express (Newspaper) :
"What the Sahitya Akademi could not do in all these years since its inception, Sivasankari has done in five years, that is, compile the essence of writing south of the Deccan plateau into a capsule."
Kalki (Magazine) :
"As Sivasankari had not included any writer with double standards, this proves to be a genuine production… A book forever - well done, Sivasankari."
Savi (Magazine) :
"The interviews are interesting - an informative encyclopaedia altogether… A Herculean task presented precisely by Sivasankari."
Kumudam (Magazine) :
"This is not a book but a library."
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Facts |
* Her initial stories were based on love and romance.
* Her stories and articles published in prominent Tamil periodicals have been translated into English and other Indian languages.
* She was the first to be inducted into DD-2 for the presentation of her short story under the "Thaen Thuli"
slot.
* ‘Avan’, the novel on drugs has been translated into Ukrainian and has been brought in book form.
* Her travel stories were translated in Japanese language (May1995).
* She has visited Malaysia twice for Malaysian daily annual functions.
* She is the first writer to narrate her stories in video and audiotapes.
* She loves dogs.
* She likes to play 2-cent video games.
* She has performed concerts in India and abroad.
* She scored first rank in college & 9th rank in university in Bachelor of Science (Zoology).
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Address |
New No. 2, First Link Street,
Karpagam Gardens, Adayar,
Chennai - 600 020
Phone & Fax: 044 - 2491 88 99
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Official Website |
http://www.sivasankari.com/
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Email ID |
jibu1@dataone.in
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