A R Venkatachalapathy is an Indian historian, author and translator who writes and publishes in
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, na ...
and English. Currently he is a professor at the
Madras Institute of Development Studies
The Madras Institute of Development Studies (MIDS) is a research institute based in Chennai. It is a joint undertaking of the Governments of India and Tamil Nadu for conducting research on development problems in Tamil Nadu and the rest of Ind ...
(MIDS). He is noted for collecting and publishing the works of Tamil writer Pudhumaipithan.
University of Madras
The University of Madras (informally known as Madras University) is a public state university in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Established in 1857, it is one of the oldest and among the most prestigious universities in India, incorporated by an a ...
Madurai Kamaraj University
Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) is a public state university located in Madurai city, in southern Tamil Nadu, India, established in 1966. MKU is one of the 15 universities in India with the University with Potential for Excellence status, wh ...
in 1989. He received his PhD in History from
Jawaharlal Nehru University
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is a public major research university located in New Delhi, India. It was established in 1969 and named after Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister. The university is known for leading faculties an ...
in 1995. His dissertation was titled "A Social History of Tamil Publishing, (1850–1938)".
Career
Venkatachalapathy worked in the History Department of
Manonmaniam Sundaranar University
Manonmaniam Sundaranar University is a university in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It was hived off the Madurai Kamaraj University on 7 September 1990.
The motto of the university is "In Pursuit of Excellence". It is named after the Tamil sc ...
from 1995 to 2000 and that of
University of Madras
The University of Madras (informally known as Madras University) is a public state university in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Established in 1857, it is one of the oldest and among the most prestigious universities in India, incorporated by an a ...
from 2000 to 2001. Since June 2001, he has been a faculty member of the
Madras Institute of Development Studies
The Madras Institute of Development Studies (MIDS) is a research institute based in Chennai. It is a joint undertaking of the Governments of India and Tamil Nadu for conducting research on development problems in Tamil Nadu and the rest of Ind ...
(MIDS). His main areas of research are social and cultural history of colonial Tamil Nadu. He is best known for collecting and publishing the works of Tamil writer Pudhumaipithan in 2000. In 2000, he published his most noted work ''Andha kaalathil kaapi illai'' (Kalachuvadu) in Tamil. Later he published an English Version – ''In Those Days There Was No Coffee'', (
Yoda Press
Yoda Press is a publishing house in India, with its headquarters located at Shahpur Jat, Siri Fort, New Delhi.
History
Yoda Press was awarded the Publisher of the Year Prize in 2016 at the Publishing Next Conference, held annually in Goa, Ind ...
, 2006). He currently serves in the advisory board of the ''Tamil iyal virudhu'', an annual award given by Tamil Literary Garden, a Canada-based organisation. He is regularly involved in
The Hindu
''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the sec ...
'' Literary Festival' (The Hindu ''
Lit for Life
Lit for Life is an annual literary festival organised by the English daily ''The Hindu'' in Chennai, India. The festival was inaugurated in 2010, where it was part of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of ''The Hindu''s Literary Review.
In ...
'') annual events as a speaker, interviewer, resource person etc. He also reviews books in ''
The Hindu
''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the sec ...
''. In 2007, he was awarded the V. K. R. V. Rao prize in Social Science Research. He also writes columns for ''The Hindu'', ''
Frontline
Front line refers to the forward-most forces on a battlefield.
Front line, front lines or variants may also refer to:
Books and publications
* ''Front Lines'' (novel), young adult historical novel by American author Michael Grant
* ''Frontlines ...
'', ''
Outlook
Outlook or The Outlook may refer to:
Computing
* Microsoft Outlook, an e-mail and personal information management software product from Microsoft
* Outlook.com, a web mail service from Microsoft
* Outlook on the web, a suite of web applications ...
'', ''
India Today
''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' launched a new on ...
'', ''
Dinamalar
''Dinamalar'' is an Indian Tamil daily newspaper. It was founded in 1951 by T. V. Ramasubba Iyer. ''Dinamalar'' has an average circulation of 942,812 (ABC Jan-June 2016)
History
Dinamalar was founded by T. V. Ramasubbaiyer on 6 September 1 ...
'' and ''Kalachuvadu'' magazine.
Awards and fellowships
*Visiting Fellow, , Paris (1996).
*Visiting Fellow, Indo-French Cultural Exchange Programme, , Paris (1997–1998).
*Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations,
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...
(1999).
*UPE Visiting Fellow,
University of Hyderabad
The University of Hyderabad (IAST: ''Hydarāvād visvavidyālayamu'') is a top ranking public central research university located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
Founded in 1974, this mostly residential campus has more than 5,000 students a ...
(2005).
*Charles Wallace Visiting Fellow, Centre of South Asian Studies,
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
(2006).
* V. K. R. V. Rao prize in Social Science Research (2007)
Bibliography
Books in English
* (trans.) Sundara Ramaswamy's J.J : Some Jottings, New Delhi : Katha (2003)
* (ed.) A. K. Chettiar, In the Tracks of the Mahatma: The Making of a Documentary, Hyderabad:
Orient Longman
Orient Blackswan Pvt. Ltd. (formerly Orient Longman India, commonly referred to as Orient Longman), is an Indian publishing house headquartered in Hyderabad, Telangana.
The company publishes academic, professional and general works as well as s ...
(2006)
* In Those Days There Was No Coffee: Writings in Cultural History, New Delhi:
Yoda Press
Yoda Press is a publishing house in India, with its headquarters located at Shahpur Jat, Siri Fort, New Delhi.
History
Yoda Press was awarded the Publisher of the Year Prize in 2016 at the Publishing Next Conference, held annually in Goa, Ind ...
(2006)
* (ed.) Chennai, Not Madras: Perspectives on the City, Mumbai: Marg (2006)
*''Kalaikkalanjiyam'': the making of the Tamil encyclopaedia, 1947–1968, Centre of South Asian Studies,
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
(2007)
* (ed.) Love Stands Alone: Selections from Tamil Sangam Poetry (translated by M. L. Thangappa), New Delhi:
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a British publishing, publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers The Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the following year.Who Owns That Song: The Battle for Subramania Bharati's Copyright (2018)
Books in Tamil
* (ed.) ''Pudumaippithan Kathaigal'' (first volume of chronological and variorum edition of the complete works of Pudumaippithan), Nagercoil (2000)
* ''Andha Kalathil Kappi Illai Muthalana Aaivu Katturaigal'' (collection of research papers on Tamil cultural history), Nagercoil: Kalachuvadu Pathippagam (2000)
* (ed.) ''Pudumaippithan Katturaigal'' (second volume of chronological and variorum edition of the complete works of Pudumaippithan), Nagercoil (2002)
* ''Novelum Vasippum: Oru Varalattru Parvai'' (Early Novels and Reading Practices: A Historical View), Nagercoil (2002).
* ''A.K.Chettiar, Annal Adichuvattil'' (The making of the documentary, Mahatma Gandhi), Nagercoil: Kalachuvadu Pathippagam (2003).
* ''Mullai: Oar Arimugam'', Chennai: Mullai Pathippagam (2004)
* (ed.) ''Pudumaippithan Mozhipeyarppukal'' (third volume of the chronological and variorum edition of the complete works of Pudumaippithan), Nagercoil (2006)
* ''Mucchanthi Ilakkiyam'' (Popular Literature in Colonial Tamil Nadu), Nagercoil (2004)
* (ed.), ''Bharatiyin 'Vijaya' Katturaigal'', Nagercoil: Kalachuvadu Pathippagam (2004).
* (trans.) ''Thuyarmiku Varikalai Indriravu Nan Ezhutalam'' (Tamil Translation of
Pablo Neruda
Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto (12 July 1904 – 23 September 1973), better known by his pen name and, later, legal name Pablo Neruda (; ), was a Chilean poet-diplomat and politician who won the 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature. Nerud ...
), Nagercoil: Kalachuvadu Pathippagam (2005)
* (trans.) ''Varalaarum Karuthiyalum'' (Tamil translation of Past and Prejudice by Romila Thapar), Delhi:
National Book Trust
National Book Trust (NBT) is an Indian publishing house, which was founded in 1957 as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Education of the Government of India. The activities of the Trust include publishing, promotion of books and reading, ...
Penguin India
Penguins (order Sphenisciformes , family Spheniscidae ) are a group of aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: only one species, the Galápagos penguin, is found north of the Equator. Highly adapt ...