Rama Kannabiran

இந்தப் பக்கத்தை தமிழில் வாசிக்க: இராம கண்ணபிரான் ‎

Rama Kannabiran

Rama Kannabiran (born 27 December 1943) is one of Singapore's senior Tamil writers. He writes short stories, short novels and literary criticism articles. He is an active participant of various Government Organizations related to literature. His essays on short stories are considered important in the course of criticism. Rama Kannabiran is one of the founding members of the Singapore Writers Association.

Birth, Education

Rama Kannabiran was born on December 27, 1943 to Amirthalingam Ramaswamy Mudaliar-Marimuthu Ammal couple in Ammapettai, Thanjavur district. He was born with three other sisters.

Rama Kannabiran attended primary school in Ammapettai village and came to Singapore in November 1953 at the age of 10. He attended McNair Primary School in Singapore and then completed his Higher Secondary School at Raffles Institution. After that he trained for three years at the Teacher Training College.

Personal Life

In 1965 Rama Kannabiran married Janaki, the fourth daughter of Vazhumangalam Rajagopalan-Kuppammal couple. He has two children, Senthil Poongodi and Paalvannan.

Rama Kannabiran started his career as a teacher in Rosyth Primary School. Initially joined as an English teacher, he later worked as a Tamil teacher in the same school for 37 years (1966-2002) due to shortage of Tamil teachers and retired voluntarily at the age of 59.

Literary Life

Rama Kannabiran's dad Amirthalingam Ramasamy ran a book stall called Shri Radharukmani Vilas Book Depot from 1922. The store, which initially sold books and household goods, became a textile store after World War II. That's how Kannabiran got introduced to books. His first short story in print, 'Moothapillai', appeared in Tamil Murasu in 1958, when he was fifteen. Rama Kannabiran was actively involved in writing fiction for 44 consecutive years. He Wrote 63 short stories and three short novels. Chennai Tamil Puthagaalayam published five story collections during this period. Later his attention turned to essay literature. Ramakannabiran has written nearly 200 articles till 2022 in the fields of short story literature, literary reviews, Singapore Tamil literature, Malaysian Tamil literature, Tamil Nadu literature, literature review, introduction, and essays. Since 2018, he has been working on compiling his writings. He has published six books in 2021.

Rama Kannabiran's short stories have been translated into English, Malay and Chinese. His short stories have appeared in 35 English and Tamil language anthologies published locally and abroad. Rama Kannabiran's stories have been featured in high school, primary and secondary social science university textbooks in Singapore.

Literary Work

Rama Kannabiran's public literary work began as a member of the Akilan Reception Committee formed when the writer Akilan arrived in Singapore in 1975. One of the founding members of the Singapore Writers' Association, which was launched in 1976, Rama Kannabiran served as the first executive member of the association for two years. In 1975, Rama Kannabiran was one of the ten writers who formed the Singapore literary scene. In 1977, Rama Kannabiran wrote his first research paper on the topic of Short Story in Singapore at the Tamil Literature Laboratory of the National University of Singapore's Tamil Council. He subsequently wrote several research articles on Singaporean short stories.

In the late 1990s, Rama Kannabiran became a board member of the National University of Singapore (NUS - Center for the Arts) and conducted workshops in the Center's Creative Arts Program from 1996 to 2001. He has also conducted literary workshops in other literary organizations. He has helped in the issues related to 'Singa' which has been published by the Center in English including the library and literature in the four languages ​​of Singapore. Since its inception in 1991, Rama Kannabiran has been a member of the National Arts Council, Singapore's Advisory Committee, Resource Committee, Play Review Study Committee and Singapore Writers' Festival Organizing Committee for 21 years. He has participated in Singapore Writers' Festivals and represented Singapore in Delhi and Hyderabad Writers' Festivals. Rama Kannabiran has been working continuously for many years as a consultant and supporter of many literary and social organizations in Singapore.

Literary Place

Celebrated as a senior writer in Singapore Tamil literature, Rama Kannabiran's writings exemplify traditional values (Aram). Writer Jeyamohan quotes "his stories generally carries the voice of a teacher who comes to class with a beating stick and shouts 'silence, silence'. These collections can be included in the history of literature with the stories that unwittingly revealed the life of a time in Singapore".

Awards

• 1982 - Singapore National Book Promotion Forum First Prize Book Award for 'Irubaththainthu Aandugal'
• 1988 - Represented Singapore in the Iowa International Literary Creation Program in USA. While staying there for three months, he finished writing a short novel called 'Beedam'. For this work, the University of Iowa gave him an honorary literary award called 'Honourary Fellow in Writing'
• 1990 - Thailand's Southeast Asian Writer Award
• 1997 - National University of Singapore Arts Center 'Mont Blanc' Literary Award, 1998 - Singapore National Arts Council Cultural Medal for Literature
• 2004 - Tamilvel Award of Singapore Tamil Writers Association
• 2007 - Bharathiyar - Bharathidasan Literary Award of Singapore Tamil Language Cultural Association, 2013 - Kaniyazhi Award of Singapore Kawimalai Organization
• 2022 - Singapore Mediacorp Television Tamil News Lifetime Achievement Award

Biography

Malaysia's Vallinam Literary Organization has produced a documentary about Rama Kannabiran (link)

Books

Stories

• Irubaththainthu Aandugal (Short Stories, Chennai Tamil Puthagaalayam, 1980, Singapore Crimson Eth Publications, 2015)
• Umaavukkaaga (Short Stories, Chennai Tamil Puthagaalayam, 1980)
• Vaadai Kaatru (Short Stories, Chennai Tamil Puthagaalayam, 1981)
• Chozhan Bommaigal (Short Stories, Chennai Tamil Puthagaalayam, 1981)
• Beedam (Novella, Chennai Tamil Puthagaalayam, 1992)
• Vaazvu (Short Stories, Singapore Crimson Eth Publications, 2015)
• Amaithi Piranthathu (Short Stories, Singapore Crimson Eth Publications, 2018)
• Rama Kannabiran Kathaigal (1958 - 1992) (2021)

Article

• Sirukathai Koorugalum, Seppaniduthalum (2021)
• Nhool Aninthuraigal (2021)
• Vanozhiyil Nhool Arimugangal (2021)
• Singapore Tamil Sirukathaigal (2021)
• Aram Pazhutha Vaazvu (2021)
• Rama Kannabiran Kathaigal

References

• Pozhiyaana Ondrai Ilakkiyathin Meethu Vaithal Athu Ungalai Thuvamsam Seithuvidum - Rama Kannabiran, Singaporin Mootha Ezhuthazhar Rama Kannabiran avargaludan oru nerkanal, Serangoon Times, December 2021