Ravikumar (tamil Writer)

Ravikumar (tamil Writer) Biography

Ravikumar is a Tamil writer, journalist, intellectual and an anti-caste activist. He currently serves as a parliamentarian in the 17th Lok Sabha headed by Narendra Modi. He has formerly served as the editor of the magazine, Nirapirikai Nirapirikai in the 1990s. Ravikumar won the Aringar Anna Award in 2010, Vikatan Award for Translation in 2014, Thiranayvu chemmal award for literary criticism and Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Bharathi Award – both in 2019 and many more. Ravikumar is the founder of the anti-caste publishing house Navayana, alongside S. Anand, India’s first and only publishing house to focus on the issue of caste from an anti-caste perspective.

He was born in Manganam Pattu, Nagapattinam district, Tamil Nadu. He was born in the year 1961. He completed graduation and Masters and later completed PhD studies too. He has been publishing books since 1995. Among all works, Ravikumar D. (2009) Venomous touch: notes on caste, culture, and politics is one among the popular works. Other major works are Kankanippin Arasiyal, Kothippu Uyarndu Varum, Kadakka Mudiyatha Nizhal, Thuyarathin mel patiyum Thuyaram, Kaana Mutiyaa Kanavu, Katranaiththoorum, Kumbatchiyilirunthu kodungonmaikku, Kaalathai Thorkaditha Kalaingar, Piravazhip payanam etc. These are his prose works.

He also published poetry works such as Avizhum Sorkal, Vaanil Vitterintha Kanavu and Mazhai Maram, and one short story collection, "Kadal Kinaru”, apart from several translations. He has translated the works of Mahasweta Devi, Ismat Chuktai, Isabelle Allende, Yehuda Amichai, Maya Angelou, Ethelbert Miller, Joy Goswami, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Michel Foucault, Edward Said etc to Tamil. He published half a dozen of books in translation. As a politician he currently represents Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), a regional party of Tamil Nadu.

Published: January 05, 2020

Updated: January 05, 2020