Women who write themselves: The quiet strength of Tamil writer Imayam’s female protagonists

It has been three decades since Imayam made his literary debut with Koveru Kazhuthaigal. The novel was a groundbreaking work in Tamil literature, bringing attention to the lives of Puthirai Vannar community, a subsect of Dalits. Since then, Imayam’s raw and empathetic portrayal of social issues, grounded in realism, set him apart as a significant voice in contemporary Tamil literature.

In the Tamil literary landscape, Imayam stands out as a writer whose works capture the unseen yet powerful dimensions of women’s lives. His literary universe is populated by women who may seem ordinary at first glance but reveal extraordinary depth when viewed more closely. They are not heroines of folklore or figures who perform grand acts of rebellion. Instead, they are everyday women whose resilience, self-determination, and quiet strength defy the crushing weight of caste, gender, and social oppression.

Women of agency

Imayam does not romanticise their struggles. The women in his stories endure unimaginable hardship, but they retain a dignity that commands respect. Their extraordinariness is found not in the feats they perform but in their ability to persist, to carve out moments of personal agency even in the most constrained circumstances. It is this delicate yet profound empowerment that lies at the heart of Imayam’s storytelling.

At the...

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