The latest collection of Unni R’s short stories in translation shines with the tone of self-critique so characteristic of his earlier writing, gentle and penetrating at the same time. His world still comprises mostly the rural and peri-urban areas of Kottayam, his birthplace. It emerges through his words as a place with layers of life that lie beyond the merely human-the birds, animals, spirits, Jesus, Satan and even inanimate things have their role and place in it.
The stories feature a whole range of situations and characters, who are forever assailed by an awareness of their own vulnerability. In ‘Malayali Memorial’, the protagonist is a low-lying, wily and seemingly powerless man in a stridently casteist family; the young man in ‘Boy and Girl’ is the weepy sort, yet his powerless tears seem to have the power to soften the resolve of a confident young woman. Further, this collection includes Unni’s experiments with the short story form. Overall, these stories break open the hardened shells of our existence, so that empathy and compassion may find their way out.
UNNI R. writes short stories and screenplays in Malayalam. He is the author of six collections of short
stories. He is known for his distinct idiom and black humour, sparse style and incisive social criticism.
Unni has received numerous honours for his writing, including the prestigious Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for the short story collection Vaanku (Call for Prayer). A film based on the titular story in the collection received a special jury mention at the 68th National Film Awards, while a film adapted from the short story 'Ozhivudivasathe Kali' (Holiday Fun) won the 46th Kerala State Film Award for Best Film in 2015. Unni won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Screenplay for Charlie in the same year.
J DEVIKA is a feminist historian, social researcher and translator, currently with the Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. She translates literary writing from
Malayalam to English and social science writing from English to Malayalam. She has translated the literary writings of K.R. Meera, Sarah Joseph, Unni R., Ambikasuthan Mangad and Lalithambika Antharjanam, among others. Her website, www. swatantryavaadini.in, is a collection of translations of the writings of early twentieth-century feminists in Malayalam-speaking regions.
The latest collection of Unni R’s short stories in translation shines with the tone of self-critique so characteristic of his earlier writing, gentle and penetrating at the same time. His world still comprises mostly the rural and peri-urban areas of Kottayam, his birthplace. It emerges through his words as a place with layers of life that lie beyond the merely human-the birds, animals, spirits, Jesus, Satan and even inanimate things have their role and place in it.
The stories feature a whole range of situations and characters, who are forever assailed by an awareness of their own vulnerability. In ‘Malayali Memorial’, the protagonist is a low-lying, wily and seemingly powerless man in a stridently casteist family; the young man in ‘Boy and Girl’ is the weepy sort, yet his powerless tears seem to have the power to soften the resolve of a confident young woman. Further, this collection includes Unni’s experiments with the short story form. Overall, these stories break open the hardened shells of our existence, so that empathy and compassion may find their way out.
UNNI R. writes short stories and screenplays in Malayalam. He is the author of six collections of short
stories. He is known for his distinct idiom and black humour, sparse style and incisive social criticism.
Unni has received numerous honours for his writing, including the prestigious Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for the short story collection Vaanku (Call for Prayer). A film based on the titular story in the collection received a special jury mention at the 68th National Film Awards, while a film adapted from the short story 'Ozhivudivasathe Kali' (Holiday Fun) won the 46th Kerala State Film Award for Best Film in 2015. Unni won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Screenplay for Charlie in the same year.
J DEVIKA is a feminist historian, social researcher and translator, currently with the Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. She translates literary writing from
Malayalam to English and social science writing from English to Malayalam. She has translated the literary writings of K.R. Meera, Sarah Joseph, Unni R., Ambikasuthan Mangad and Lalithambika Antharjanam, among others. Her website, www. swatantryavaadini.in, is a collection of translations of the writings of early twentieth-century feminists in Malayalam-speaking regions.
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