The Tamil Literary Garden

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The Tamil Literary Garden, is a Canadian literary organization and charity founded in 2001. The focus of this organization is on supporting translations of Tamil literature, sponsoring lecture series, commissioning publications, launching books and recognizing annually significant achievements in Tamil in a number of genres and fields.

The Tamil Literary Garden
Formation2001
TypeCharitable Organization
HeadquartersToronto, Canada
Official language
Tamil
President
Manuel Jesudasan
Past President
Chelva Kanaganayakam
Secretary
Appadurai Muttulingam
Board Members
N.K. Mahalingam (Treasurer),
Selvam Arulanandam (Director),
Usha Mathivanan (Director)
Volunteers
22
Websitewww.tamilliterarygarden.com

Over a span of a few years, the activities grew to include a number of awards, such as the best work of fiction, non-fiction and poetry for the year. Translation award and Information technology in Tamil award were added on subsequently. A scholarship for a student essay submitted in English by an undergraduate or graduate student in Ontario was also introduced. In order to make the process both rigorous and transparent, a number of advisors and an international panel of judges were included.

On 3 March 2010, the Tamil Literary Garden was accepted as a charitable organization.[1] Currently 22 volunteers take part in its activities on a regular basis assisted by the board members and none receives any financial compensations. The financial statements are being audited by a firm of Chartered Accountants.

Its founding members include Chelva Kanaganayakam, Appadurai Muttulingam, Kandiah Mahalingam, Selvam Arulanandam, and Sivakumaran Subramaniyam.

Awards

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Iyal award

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Iyal award is a Lifetime Achievement Award, given annually to a writer, scholar, critic or editor, who, over a period of time, has made a very significant contribution to the growth or study of Tamil literature. Every year, the Tamil Literary Garden sends out a call for nominations internationally.

The nominations are reviewed by an international panel of judges who determine the winner for the year. The recipient is invited to the annual awards ceremony in Toronto where he or she is given the award that includes a cash prize of C$2,500. The Lifetime Achievement Award in Tamil is the only one of its kind anywhere in the world and is similar to other prestigious awards given in Canada, USA and U.K. It is open to all, regardless of nationality, race, ethnicity, religion, or gender.

Year Winner Profession Country
2001 Sundara Ramaswami Writer India
2002 K.Ganesh Writer Sri Lanka
2003 Venkat Swaminathan Writer/ Critic India
2004 Pathmanaba Iyer Writer/ Publisher U.K
2005 George L. Hart Professor of Tamil, University of California, Berkeley U.S.A
2006 A.C.Tarcisius Playwright/ Director U.K
2007 Lakshmi Holmstrom Writer/ Translator U.K
2008 Ambai (C.S.Lakshmi) Writer India
2009 Kovai Gnani Writer India
2009 Iravatham Mahadevan[2] Research Scholar India
2010 S.Ponnuthurai Writer Australia
2011 S.Ramakrishnan Writer India
2012 Nanjil Nadan[3] Writer India
2013 S.Theodore Baskaran Writer India
2013 Dominic Jeeva Writer Sri Lanka
2014 Jeyamohan Writer India
2015 R.Mayooranathan Architect Sri Lanka
2016 N.Sukumaran Writer/Poet India
2017 Kalyana Sundaram Sivasankaran (Vannadasan) Writer/Poet India
2018 V. Annamalai(Imayam) Writer India
2019 Su. Venkatesan Writer India
2021 Dr. A. R. Venkatachalapathy Researcher and write India
2022 Paavannan Writer India
2022 Letchumanan Murugapoopathy Writer Sri Lanka
2023 R. Balakrishnan Writer India

Fiction Award

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Year Winner Book
2005 So. Tharman Kookai
2006 Joe D Cruz Aazhi Soozh Ulagu
2007 S.Ramakrishnan Yamam
2008 Thamizhavan Vaaravil Oru Kadavul
2009 Jeyamohan Kotravai
2010 P.Karunakaramoorthy Pathungu Kuzhi
2010 S.Venkatesan Kaaval Kottam
2011 Yuvan Chandrasekar Payanak Kathai
2012 Kanmani Gunasekaran Anjalai
2013 Keeranur Jakir Raja Jinnavin Diary
2013 Subramania Sritharan Sritharan Kathaikal
2014 B.Devakanthan Kanavuchirai
2015 Shoba Sakthi Kandy Veeran
2016 Sayanthan Athirai
2017 Tamilmagan Vengai Nangoorathin Jeen Kurippukal
2018 Deebachelvan Nadukal
2020 B.Kanmani Idabam
2021 P. A. Jayakaran Collection of Short Stories. ‘P. A. Jayakaran stories Canada
2022 Velmurugan Elango Mannar pozhuthukaL India
2023 A.M.Rashmy 'sattE periya kathaikalin puththakam' Sri Lanka

Non-Fiction Award

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Year Winner Book
2005 Crea Ramakrishnan Tharkaalath Thamizakaraathi
2006 A. Revathy Unarvum Uruvamum
2007 Nanjil Nadan Nathiyin Pizhaiyandru Narumpunal Inmai
2008 Dr.Murugar Gunasingam Ilangayil Thamizhar
2009 Dr.N.Subramanian Eelathu Tamizh Novel Ilakkiyam
2009 Aa.Sivasubramanian Ash Kolaiyum Inthiya Puradchi Iyakkamum
2010 R.S.Sugirtharajah Panpaattu Porkanikal
2010 S.Theodore Baskaran Innum Pirakkaatha Thalaimuraikkaaka
2011 Perumal Murugan Ketta Varththai Pesuvom
2012 Prapanchan Thazhap Parakkum Paraththayar Kodi
2012 Appu Vanni Yuththam
2013 M.Pushparajan Nambikkaikalukku Appaal
2014 M.Nithiyananthan Kooliththamil
2014 M.Jeyarani Jathiyarravalin Kural
2015 Ashokamitran Kurukku Veddukal
2016 Mysskin Onayum Aaddukkuddiyum
2017 Professor E.Balasundaram Canadavil Ilangai Thamizarin Vaazvum Valamum
2018 Umaji Kaakkaa koththiya kaayam
2021 K. Chandru ‘Naanum Neethipathi Aanen’ India
2022 Samraj ‘Moovanthiyil soolurum marmam’ India
2023 P.Wikneswaran ‘ninaivu nallathu’ Canada

Poetry Award

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Year Winner Book
2006 Dr. U. Cheran Meendum Kadalukku
2007 K.Vesudean Tholaivil
2008 Leena Manimekalai Ulagin Azhagiya Muthal Pen
2009 Sukumaaran Poomiyai Vaasikkum Sirumi
2010 Thirumavalavan Irul Yaazhi
2010 Manushya Puthiran Adheethathin Rusi
2011 Devadhachan Irandu Sooriyan
2011 Anar Enakkuk Kavithai Mukam
2012 Theva Abira Irul Thinra Eelam
2012 Nillanthan Yugapuraanam
2013 Isai Sivaji Ganesanin Muththangal
2014 Kathirbharathi Mesiyavukku Moonru Machangal
2015 Kumaragurubaran Marupadiyum muthalil irunthu arampikka mudiyaathu
2016 P.Sankara Rama Subramanian Ayiram Santhosha Ilaikal
2017 Packiyanathan Ahilan Ammai
2018 Bogan Shankar SiRiya eNkaL thoongkum aRai
2020 S.Perundevi
2021 Aazhiyaal ‘NedumarangkaLaai Vaazthal’ Australia
2022 Sukirtharani ‘Sukirtharani kavithaikaL’ India
2023 Ilavalai Wijayendran ‘enthak kangkaiyil inthak kaikalaik kazhuvuvathu?’ Norway

Translation Award

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Year Translator Translation Title Original Title Author
2011 G.Kuppuswamy En Peyar Sivappu My Name is Red Orhan Pamuk
2012 M.A.Susila Asadan The Idiot Fyodor Dostoyevsky
2012 Vaidehi Herbert [4] 'Mullaippaattu' and 'Nedunalvaadai' 'Mullaippāṭṭu' and 'Neṭunalvāṭai'
2013 C.Mohan and Aniruddhan Vasudevan Onaai Kulachchinnam One Part Woman Perumal Murugan
2014 Swarnavel Eswaran Pillai Madras Studios – Narrative Genre and Ideology in Tamil Cinema
2014 K.V.Shylaja Yaarukkum Vendaatha Kan
2015 N. Kalyan Raman (Tamil to English) Farewell, Mahatma
2015 Puviyarasu (English to Tamil) Mirthathin Puththakam
2016 Rishan Shareef (Sinhalese to Tamil) Iruthi Maniththiyalam
2016 Eveline Masilamani Meyer (Tamil to German) Bananenblatter und StraBenstaub
2017 D.I.Aravindanr (English to Tamil) Balasaraswathi: Her Life and Art
2018 Dr, R. Karthigesu (Tamil to English) Kadalukku appaal Beyond Sea P. Singaram
2018 Era Murugan (Malayaalam to Tamil) Peeranki PaadalkaL Lanthan paththEriyile luththiniyakaL N.S. Maathavan
2021 Dr. Martha Ann Selby. Professor Harvard Tamil Chair (Tamil to English) Cat in the Agraharam and other stories Kadavu Dilip Kumar
2023 Jegadeesh Kumar Kesavan A Journey Through Words sol vazhip payanam Bava Chelladurai

Information Technology in Tamil Award

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Year Winner
2006 Dr K.Srinivasan[5]
2007 Dr.K.Kalyanasundaram
2008 Suratha Yarlvanan
2009 Tamil Linux KDE Group
2010 Muthu Nedumaaran
2011 Vasu Renganathan
2012 Mugunthraj Subramanian
2013 Mani Manivannan
2014 Muthiah Annamalai
2015 S.Raja Raman (Neechalkaran)
2016 T.Shrinivasan
2017 Sasiharan Pathmanathan
2018 Ramasamy Duraipandi

Foreign Language Award

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Year Winner
2017 Anuk Arudpragasam
2020 Logathasan Tharmathurai The Sadness of Geography

Vision of India literature award

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Year Winner
2022 Sivasankari 'Ilakkiyamulam inthiya inaippu'

Special Recognition Awards

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Apart from the yearly awards, Special Recognition Awards are given on ad-hoc basis for outstanding contributions to Tamil Literature. So far three such awards were given.

Dec 2006: A.J.Canagaratne, born in Jaffna, Sri Lanka is a great intellect and his most important contribution to Tamil literature is literary criticism. He gave new direction to the growth of literature in Sri Lanka and elsewhere.

July 2010: Sascha Ebeling, Asst Professor, University of Chicago, U.S.A is a researcher in Tamil language and literature of all periods, in particular 19th century culture and Tamil epigraphy. His work on 19th century Tamil literature has won two awards.

July 2013: Mr. & Mrs. Aseervatham, This award is given for the commitment to Tamil and the sponsorship of Tamil Literary Garden.

July 2015: So. Pathmanathan and Brenda Beck

July 2016: Dr. David Shulman in honour of All Teachers of the World

July 2016: Ira Ilangkumaran

June 2017: Sivakumaran Subramaniam (Chezhian)

June 2017: T. Gnanasekaran in honour of All Teachers of the World

June 2017: Dr. Nicholapillai Marier Xavier

June 2018: Navin Manogaran

June 2018: S. Thiruchelvam

2020: P.J.Dilipkumar

2020: Veerakathy Suthershan

2022: V. N. Giritharan

2023: DR. Parvathy Kanthasamy

Scholarship Award

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The scholarship award was established in 2008 in order to encourage and promote Tamil Studies in the diaspora, particularly among the second generation.

Year Winner Essay Title
2008 Angela Britto Naan Poitu Varan: The Importance of Tamil Studies in a Diasporic Context
2009 Kirubhalani Giruparajah Canadian Multiculturalism - A Tamil Perspective
2010 Serothy Ramachandran Media and Politics in Tamil Studies
2011 Ram Adrian The Private and the Public: A Canadian Tamil Perspective
2012 Mira Ragunathan Building Bridges: Constructing a Tamil Community in Canada
2013 Elina Toporos and Arundathy Nedra Rodrigo New Technologies: Refashioning a Tamil Identity
2014 Vasugi Kailasam and Yugendra Ragunathan Renegotiating New Meanings of Self in Tamil Canadian Diasporaa
2015 Renuka Murthi Innovative Forms of Tamil Expression Today
2016 Sopika Sathiyaseelan You Have Already Set Yourself on Fire
2017 Shangari Vijenthira Social Media and the Making of Tamil Identities.
2018 Kalayani Rathakrishnan What symbolizes Tamilness for me?.
2020 Sruthy Sriharan Essay ‘ Traditions that bring my family closer together.’

Nominations

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Nomination forms are available in the website. It can be applied for self or others before 31 October of every year.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Tamil Literary Garden".
  2. ^ "Literacy prevailed widely among Tamils: scholar". The Hindu. 4 July 2010. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  3. ^ "நாஞ்சில் நாடனுக்கு இயல் விருது". The Tamil Literary Garden. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
  4. ^ "சங்க இலக்கிய நூல்கள் 12 ஆங்கிலத்தில் மொழிபெயர்ப்பு". Retrieved 16 June 2013.
  5. ^ "தமிழ்க் கணிமைக்கான சுந்தர ராமசாமி விருது". Retrieved 20 December 2010.
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