Sithara S. (born 1972) is an Indian
feminist writer in
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 2 ...
from
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
. In her short stories and novels she has highlighted women's issues, gender conflict and
lesbian rights. In 2004 she won
Sahitya Akademi
The Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India. Founded on 12 March 1954, it is supported by, though independent of, the Indian government. Its of ...
Golden Jubilee Award for her contributions to
Indian literature She is also a translator from
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 2 ...
to English and vice versa.
Early life and education
Sithara was born and brought up in
Kasaragod district of
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
. She obtained her post-graduation degree in English Literature and Diploma in journalism from
University of Calicut
The University of Calicut, also known as Calicut University, is a state-run public university headquartered at Tenhipalam in Malappuram district of the state of Kerala, India. Established in 1968, it is the first university to be set up in n ...
. At an early age she was afflicted with life-threatening cancer disease. She attributes her firebrand literary style to her lifelong battle against cancer and social stigma.
Literary works
Sithara is one of the leading contemporary women writers from Kerala. She has written several best-selling books in Malayalam which include "Kathakal", "Idam", "Veshappakarcha" and "Ushnagrahangalude Sneham". She chiefly writes stories depicting oppression of women and sexuality in public places. Her stories capture the complexities of modern life from women's perspective and have an angry and defiant tone.
Sithara has also translated the works of Nobel Laureate
Malala Yousafzai
Malala Yousafzai ( ur, , , pronunciation: ; born 12 July 1997), is a Pakistani female education activist and the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Awarded when she was 17, she is the world's youngest Nobel Prize laureate, and the second P ...
into Malayalam. Her short story “Fire” has been included in the English Literature syllabus of
Kerala University
University of Kerala, formerly the University of Travancore, is a state-run public university located in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital of Kerala, India. It was established in 1937 by a promulgation of the Maharajah of Travancore, Chit ...
.
Other contributions
Sithara's short story Agni has been made into a popular movie. She is also a freelance content writer on children's topics for television.
Awards and recognition
Sithara's works were recognised by
Sahitya Akademi
The Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India. Founded on 12 March 1954, it is supported by, though independent of, the Indian government. Its of ...
which conferred on her its golden jubilee prize in 2004. She has also won
Kerala Sahitya Akademi
The Kerala Sahitya Akademi or Academy for Malayalam literature is an autonomous body established to promote the Malayalam language and literature. It is situated in City of Thrissur, Kerala in India.
History
The academy was inaugurated on 15 ...
award. Besides he has won numerous other literary awards including ‘’Katha Award’’ and ‘’Geetha Hiranyan Endowment Award’’ for Malayalam literature.
Bibliography
Books in English
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Books in Malayalam
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Chapters in books
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Journal articles
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Translations
*''Enteyum Katha'' (2021), DC Books (Translation of
We Are Displaced by
Malala Yousafzai
Malala Yousafzai ( ur, , , pronunciation: ; born 12 July 1997), is a Pakistani female education activist and the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Awarded when she was 17, she is the world's youngest Nobel Prize laureate, and the second P ...
)
See also
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Sahitya Akademi Award
The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...
*
Kerala Sahitya Academy Award
Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award is given each year, since 1958, by the Kerala Sahitya Akademi (Kerala Literary Academy), to Malayalam writers for their outstanding books of literary merit. The awards are given in various categories.
*
Malayalam literature
Malayalam, the lingua franca of the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puduchery, is one of the six Classical languages of India. Malayalam literature comprises those literary texts written in Malayalam, a S ...
*
Tapan Kumar Pradhan
Tapan Kumar Pradhan (born 1972) is an Indian poet, writer and translator from Odisha. He is best known for his poem collection "Kalahandi" which was awarded second place in Sahitya Akademi's Golden Jubilee ''Indian Literature'' Translation Prize ...
*
Mandakranta Sen
Mandakranta Sen (born 1972) is an Indian poet of Bengali language. She became the youngest ever winner of Ananda Puraskar in 1999 for her very first poetry book. In 2004, she was awarded Sahitya Akademi Golden Jubilee Award for poetry. She is al ...
References
External links
Interview with Abdul Rasheed – Times of India dated 17 October 2019
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sithara, S.
Malayalam-language writers
Indian women writers
Living people
1972 births
Writers from Kerala
People from Kasaragod district
Malayali people
Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Malayalam
University of Calicut
University of Calicut alumni
Indian feminists
Feminist writers
Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Golden Jubilee Award