Vachathi to Vengavayal, TN literary works neglect key issues, say authors

ON the second day of the Chennai International Book Fair, Sahitya Akademi Award-winning writers Imaiyam and AR Venkatachalapathy shared compelling insights that underscored a shared concern – the untapped potential of literature from Tamil Nadu to explore both historical and contemporary social themes.

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Both writers lamented the lack of literary works addressing significant issues and figures. Imaiyam spoke about the dearth of novels and short stories tackling pressing social issues, citing the harrowing violence in Vachathi village as an example. "It is the duty of writers to highlight social issues through their work. However, writers from Tamil Nadu, including me, have failed to do so. There are not many short stories or novels based on these incidents," he admitted. He also pointed to the Vengavayal incident in Pudukkottai, where human faeces were found in an overhead water