This is a 330-page volume of contemporary Tamil Poetry rendered in English and compiled by Latha Ramakrishnan, a prominent translator of literary works from Tamil to English and vice versa. She lives in Chennai. Published by Annamikaa Alphabets (her own publication) in January this year, it is priced at Rs. 500/= Indian currency. The writer's e-mail is: lathaa.r20102gmail.com

Latha Ramakrishnan (62) is not only a translator (more than 30 books) but also writes poetry (11 volumes), short stories (2 collections) literary criticism and essays (3 books). She is in Thamilaham literary world for the last 35 years. She also writes under various pseudonyms (Rishi, Anamika and her own name). She is on Facebook for the last three years. Most of the poems translated are poems by fellow poets that appeared on Facebook. They were in Tamil. Only a few are from Lankan Tamil poets. Among the latter, I happen to know only well-known people.

One thing good in this collection is that she has published the original Tamil version and her English translation side by side. Although she has translated about 600 such poems, she has included only 139 poets for volume one.
One should congratulate Latha Ramakrishnan for her genuine interest in translating these Tamil poems into English although in her Foreword she modestly says. “Of course, they may be imperfect and my translation may not be doing full justice to the original poem. Yet, I dared (and dare) to go on for the sheer joy it gives me and to my Facebook friends”. The translator also says that she “found solace in, admiring their (the poets selected for this volume) style and content.”

She is a Post-Graduate in English from Presidency College, Chennai. What I wanted to do here her version in English of some of the Lankan Tamil poems for the benefit of non-Tamil knowing readers. She has arranged the names of the poets according to the English alphabets and yet I wouldn't know who among them Lankans are. Therefore, I am selecting only those whom I know well.

Anar Issath Rehana

Her original poem is titled “Alaiapukal Varatha Cellphone” Here is the English translation:

Cell Phones with no Incoming Calls-
There might have been an earthquake
In the underground hideouts of Earth:
The signs of landslide are there to see.
Deep down the Volcano fire
Begins to emit cinders.
Upon the Wal of house
Cracks breaking it into two
Appearing
The porcelain vessel
Which I had dusted and cleaned
With great care yesterday
Slipped from my had so unexpectedly
And smashed into splinters;
In the new dress of the child
The stitching has loosened
From the number saved
No call comes to
My mobile at all.
Dense Fog
Stands to block the way
At a distance is seen that human form;
Whether coming or going
Remains blurred.

(Anar comes from Kalmunai and I too has translated one of her poems into English.)

Lankan contemporary Thamil Literature has it own individual identity different from what is produced elsewhere. Certainly, it is not an adjunct in the overall Thamil Literature produced in Thamilaham or Thamilnadu. The literary journals locally published are standing evidence for its authenticity. It all began in the mini cultural revolution in late 1950s and reached its peak in the 1970s. The process continues without any need to establish the fact. The late academics like K Kailasapathi, K Sivathamby,  and HMP Mohideen were in the forefront in formulating this perception. The pattern of indigenous culture ad living had their own individuality although common practices in India and Lanka were there.

There were many literary magazines that are now defunct due to financial difficulties, especially Mallikai edited by indefatigable Dominc Jeeva in his 90s now, but yet some creative writing and critical articles were included in these journals.

Currently, there are monthly, quarterly, and periodically published journals are in circulation coming from various parts in the island- Colombo, Yaalpaanam, Maddakkalappu, Kalmunai, Anuadhapura, and other places. To mention the names of some of the literary journals, we have Gnanam, Jeevanathi, Makudam, Padigal, Kalai Mugam, Kalaik Kesari, Poongavanam, Thayaka Oli, Maruka and others to read what the Lankan Thamil-speaking writers are saying in their writing.

Apart from these journals, the Sunday editions of Thinakkural, Thinakaran VaaraManjari and Sudar Oli and Virakeari carry lot of literary materials for the discerning reader.

Jeevanathi in its June & July, 2018 issues published almost research-like articles and creative writing that are of high quality. This journal is edited by young Psychology majored graduate from the University of Jaffna (Yaalpaanam). Taking the articles only for consideration the following among many are Illuminating:

01.The role of the cremators in fiction - Ee.Su. Muralitharan
02.The Change in Form in Literature and Politics - Dr N Ravindren
03.Little Magazines- Sellathurai Sutharsan
04.Not Unnamed Stars but Shooting Stars-N. Navaraj
05. Mu.Tha and his short stories-K Saddanathan
06 Simon Cassie Chetty’s Contributions towards research in Thamil in Lanka- Susman

My enjoyment in reading the fiction, “The Crossroads”, by an Indian writer Sudipta Mukherjee was primarily governed by her use of the English language in an effective manner, especially in her narration and descriptive power of characterization. This is her maiden novel covering three cities, two friends, one girl and it is a one story. But what is the plot about? The blurb helps:

“The Crossroads is a story of Aparajita Basu, a girl from a humble household of Kolkata, who tears away from her family to settle her roots in America, with her childhood friend, Aniruddha. To Aparajita, he is everything she ever wanted. Love dwindles slowly. Fate turns in a blink. Disheartened, she returns, not to her hometown but to a different city, where she finds herself a stranger, Haunted by her disturbed thoughts, obsessed by that one name, she finds no escape… until she discovers herself, standing on a new crossroads. An ordinary girl, who loses herself to love. A lover, who turns out to be a betrayer. A friendship born on a stormy night. Wisdom bred out of miseries. A home coming that completes one full cycle.”

But simple or a triangle of love story it may seem, the richness lies in its craftsmanship.

The book is divided into three sections: Kolkatta, Pullman and Chennai. It runs to 386 pages that include a Prologue and an Epilogue. Published by Frog Books in Mumbai in 2015 it is priced at US  $13

The book is dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu and Siva in the Sanskrit Sloka as follows: “Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshwara, Guru Sakshat, Para Brahma, Tasmai Shri Guruvay Namah”

The felicity of language is admirable for a maiden work. More than the meat in the novel the sheer poetry in prose entertains me ravishingly. The English is marvelous by any standards.

On pages 86-87 there is beautiful erotic writing too written from a feminine point of view.

Her novel is not merely a fiction but a study to be relished slowly and analyzed. It has many layers and nuances that have be analyzed as if for a thesis.
…
Let me now show you only a few passages from Chapter 22 only among the many I loved to relish and a few observations on the vitality of the authors fascinating expressions:

From the humble beginnings as an Operational Assistant (spinning discs and assisting in production of programmes) in the studios of Radio Ceylon, V N MathiAlagan gained practical and theoretical aspects of electronic broadcasting, step by step, and rose to the highest position as Deputy Director General of Broadcasting. He is a humble and pleasant man with dedication to his chosen field with immense talents and shone over the airways as the first Thamil newsreader over the first TV station in Lanka the ITN, and later the Rupavahini and proving himself as an efficient administrator in radio broadcasting too.

At the beginning of the present century he emigrated to Canada and presently work for the TVI Channel (Tamil Vision Inc.) as a Senior Broadcaster.

He was in Lanka last week to launch his worthwhile book of 150 pages titled “V N. MathiAlagan- Sollum Seithigal” (meaning the NEWS (he) SAYS)

The book is priced at Rs 1000 and printed by Kaanthalaham in Chennai.

SriLankan Radio (then called Radio Ceylon and later SLBC) was and is very popular broadcasting medium in South Asia for its friendliness shown by broadcasters in different tongues-English, Thamil, Sinhala, Hindi, Malayaalam, Telugu and Kannada.

But now, sad to say, with the number of private radio TV stations coming up, the focus is on cheap entertainment and catering mostly to the not so culturally inclined younger people. The electronic media is e flooded with broadcasters descending to lower standards, thereby insulting the majority of listeners and viewers who expect information and cultivated cultural items. The audience expect that the broadcasters should play a role model to the listening and viewing public. The accepted standards of using the medium of language deteriorated, and young people not properly understanding the nature of radio/tv broadcasting enter the field using clichés and inappropriate ‘ad lib bing’, lowered the standards of speech over these channels.

But not all broadcasters are to be blamed for the misuse of broadcasting etiquette.

It is at this point, that this book in Thamil serves the good purpose of educating the etiquette in broadcasting, particularly in radio / tv journalism and the quintessence of good broadcasting.

The author acknowledges the pioneer TV personalities, the late Thevis Guruge, and Sharmini Boyle by using their colour photographs in the back of the front cover and dedicates the book to his wife, who is the woman behind his success. There are 15 chapters plus comments by others in the form of introductions and forewords and wishes.

In his well-written pieces in clear language, he primarily stresses on the language of the spoken word and news presentation. Simple language is rightly recommended by him. He also mentions the collective responsibility in gathering news and rendering them. He also writes about the current methods of News communication in the electronic media. He cautions of how correct pronunciation matters, behind the news, perfect translation into native languages, newsroom studios among other things

Senior journalist Jayantha Chandrasiri’s newest film Gharasarpa shown at the Tharanga theatre of the National Film Corporation on Friday last drew many admirers and the house was full with viewers sitting on the steps inside the hall. As an invitee I sat in one of the front rows amidst distinguished and many VIP. Although the screening started a little later than the scheduled time, it was worth waiting for more than an hour. The full-packed audience patiently watched the film till the end in pin drop silence. One reason why all the spectators waited till the end was perhaps they also wanted to eat their dinner that was ready to be served after the show. The other reason is of course the interesting images that were moving in close-ups in the wide screen that made the audience curious to know what’s next to be shown.

It was curious for me because I had never seen on the screen the Kalu Kumariya antics and the presence of Catholic priest and the venerable attention by the pious villagers, the choir rendition and people at praying and the religious rites performing. And the excellence of the cinematographer with meaningful shots that exhibited the nuances of the body language and the characters facial expression.

Apart from the obvious features in a good film (and the audience consisted knowledgeable and finetuned and mature cinegoers in understanding of what true cinema would be in its presentation), the subtitle in English helped non - Sinhala people t follow the story with ease.

But what is the story? Most of us are conditioned to expect a watered-down story line in a film to judge whether it is a good film or not. The Scene near the end – lasting about 8 to 10 minutes- when the married lady doctor and the married professor meet after so many years is a memorable sequence I liked best was because it was handled by the director and the cinematographer very well without any dramatization. It is a natural performance with   hesitation but with concrete assertion by the female character and the shock and uneasiness on the part of the male character were acted well. The respective players were Sangeetha Weerarathna and Kamal Addaraarachi.

I was happy to see Kamal after a long spell and he proved here beautifully, as a jovial, married Professor but with seriousness and with a purpose in uttering his thoughts and maintaining a cool demeanor.

Sangeeetha acted with dexterity as a professional doctor cool but showing her hidden excitement without over acting. She looked beautiful. Thanks to the makeup and hairstylist Indika Udara Lanka.

Sriyantha Mendis looked different from his normal appearance and played his role as the catholic priest.

கே.எஸ்.சிவகுமாரனின் 'பதிவுகள்' இணைய இதழின் ஆரம்ப காலப்படைப்புகளை இங்கே வாசிக்கலாம்: http://www.geotamil.com/pathivukal/kss_writes.html

அ.ந.கந்தசாமி நினைவு தினம் பெப்ருவரி 14.

[ - - எழுத்தாளர் அ.ந.கந்தசாமியை அறிஞர் அ.ந.கந்தசாமி என்று அழைப்பர். இலக்கியத்தின் பல துறைகளிலும் தன் ஆளுமையினைப் பதித்தவர் அ.ந.க. ஆங்கிலத்திலும் மிகுந்த புலமை மிக்கவர். அவரது பன்முகப் புலமை காரணமாகவே அவர் அறிஞர் அ.ந.கந்தசாமி என்று அழைக்கப்பட்டார். அதனால்தான் கலாநிதி க.கைலாசபதி அவர்கள் தனது 'ஒப்பியல் இலக்கணம்' நூலினை அ.ந.க.வுக்குச் சமர்ப்பணம் செய்தார். 'அ.ந.க. என்ற ஆய்வறிவாளர்' என்னும் 'தினக்குரலில்' வெளியான இச்சிறு கட்டுரையில் புகழ்பெற்ற கலை, இலக்கியத்திறனாய்வாளரான கே.எஸ்.சிவகுமாரன் அவர்கள் 'அ.ந.க ஓர் அறிஞரே' என்று ஆணித்தரமாகக் கூறுகின்றார். அந்த வகையில் முக்கியத்துவம் வாய்ந்த இக்கட்டுரை இன்னுமொரு வகையிலும் முக்கியத்துவம் வாய்ந்தது. கே.எஸ்.சிவகுமாரன் அவர்கள் அ.நக.வுடனான தனது அனுபவங்களையும் பதிவு செய்திருக்கின்றார் என்பதுதான் அம்முக்கியத்துக்குக் காரணம். - . - பதிவுகள் -]

INTELLECTUAL என்றொரு ஆங்கில வார்த்தை உண்டு. அகராதியொன்றின் படி "" AN INTELLECTUAL IS ONE WHO THINKS AND ACTS PREDOMINANTLY TO SERVE THE PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE AND APPRECIATION OF FINE THINGS IN LITERATURE AND THE ARTS, AND IS LESS CONCERNED WITH THE MUNDANE AND MATERIAL ASPECTS OF LIFE' தமிழிலே, இந்தப் பதத்திற்குக் கொடுக்கப்பட்ட அகராதியொன்றின் விளக்கம்:  - " அறிவுத் திறனுடையவர், ஆய்வறிவாளர், அறிஞர்' மேலும் INTELLECTUALISM என்பதனை விளக்குகையில் அவ்வகராதி இவ்வாறு விளக்குகிறது. அறிவுத்திறம் வாய்ந்த ஆய்வுணர்வுக்குரிய அறிவுக்குகந்த அறிவுத்திறன் நோக்கிய ஒருவரின் ஆய்வறிவுக் கோட்பாடு எல்லா அறிவும் ஆய்வுத் திறத்தின் விளைவே எனுங்கொள்கை'. இவைதான் உண்மையான விளக்கம் என்றிருக்க ஈழத்து இதழியலாளர் பலரும் ஏனையோரும் தப்பும் தவறுமாக இன்டலெக்ஷ?வல் என்பதனை ""புத்திஜீவிகள்' என்றே எழுதிவிடுகிறார்கள். அர்த்தம் தெரியாமல் ஆங்கிலமொழிப் பரிச்சயம் இல்லாததால் தமிழ் நாட்டுப் பத்திரிகையாளர் சிலர் ""புத்திஜீவிகள் என்று எழுதிவிட கண்மூடித்தனமாக நமது பத்திரிகையாளர்கள் சிலரும் ""புத்திஜீவிகள்' என்றே எழுதிவிடுகின்றனர். தமிழ்நாட்டு வெகுசனங்களிடையே பிரபல்யம் பெறும் சொற்கள் சிலவற்றை நாமும் பின்பற்றுவது நமது தராதரத்தை கீழிறக்கி விடுவது போலாகிவிடும்.புத்தியை மாத்திரமே முதலாகக்கொண்டு ஜீவிப்பவர்கள் தான் ""புத்திஜீவிகள்' ஆனால் அதுவல்ல INTELLECTUAL என்ற வார்த்தையின் உட்பொருள் ""ஆய்வறிவுடன் கூடிய அறிஞர்களே "" ஆய்வறிவாளர்' ஆவர்.

அ.ந.க.
அமரர் அ.ந.கந்தசாமி நாம் பெருமைப்படக்கூடிய நமது மார்க்சியத் திறனாய்வாளர்/படைப்பாளி ஆவர். அவர் உண்மையிலேயே ஓர் ஆய்வறிவாளராவர்.

இற்றைக்கு 48 வருடங்களுக்கு முன்னர் அ.ந.கந்தசாமி அவர்களை முதன்முறையாக சந்தித்தேன். மறைந்துபோன தீவிர மார்க்சிய இலக்கியவாதியான எம்.எஸ்.எம். இக்பால், அ.ந.க.வை அறிமுகப்படுத்திவைத்தார். அந்நாட்களில் இப்பொழுது இல்லாமலே போய்விட்ட அன்றைய உள்ளூராட்சிச்சேவை அதிகாரசபையின் அலுவலகத்திலே நான் தமிழ் மொழிபெயர்ப்பாளராகத் தொழில் பார்த்து வந்தேன். அந்த அலுவலகம் கொழும்பு கோட்டை கபூர் கட்டிடத்தில் செயற்பட்டது.எனது அலுவலகத்திற்கு பக்கத்தில் எம்.எஸ்.எம். இக்பால் பணிபுரிந்த அலுவலகம் இருந்தது. அக் கட்டிடத்தின் மேல் மாடியிலே மறைந்துபோன "ரெயின்போ' கனகரத்தினம் ஓர் அலுவலகத்தில் வரவேற்பாளராக பணிபுரிந்துவந்தார்.

A 25 page slim volume of 24 poems published by Mathusooothanan Jeyakrishnan  and A L Aazath printed at A J Printers Station Road, Dehiwela is prized at Rs, 250/- The author is a  senior lecturer attached to the Department of English Language teaching of the University of Colombo. As the title says she writes about the poems of soil. What soil   is that? Obviously, as the Foreword writer says- “Balayogini’s poems will be read with great interest as the outside world is gaining access to North Sri Lanka after the recent cessation of war. The environmental ruins and human toll will probably give people an idea of the experiences in this land.”

Lanka born American professor Suresh Canagarajah in his Foreword also adds: “However, Balayogini’s poems give voice to her own and other peoples’ feelings and thoughts of that time”

In an appreciative analysis Canagarajah aptly points out the strength of the   poet in her observations and feelings and most importantly her experiment with the craft of poetry writing. The poet has an M Phil. In  Linguistics.

It’s worth quoting Prof  Suresh Canagarajah  again: “She provides a sensitive window into the hearts and minds of people who went through violence, poverty,  bereavement, and uncertainty in their lives… orphaned children, confused child soldiers, moribund scholars, apathetic students,  despondent refugees, and perfunctory political bureaucrats.“

Canagarajah also observes that “She represents experiences of love, sex, family, and friendship that transcend politics and gain poignancy being set in the painful political environment.”

What about the poet’s craft? “She is sensitive to rhythm, imagery, spacing, rhyme, and word choice as she talks about her experience” says Suresh Canagarajah. Having assimilated what Suresh has said above, let me give my comments   with illustrations from Balayogini’s poems. She beautifully alludes rhythm of music to the touch of her beloved in this poem

Recently in an invitational screening of a large gathering I sat at  Regal Theatre to see the new creation by Prasanna Vithanage. Internationally known Lankan film director Vithanage has brought in a new genre of film making in Sinhala. My thoughts went back to the 1960s when the New Wave in France exciting us all the enthusiasts of continental cinema.

'Verite ’- The Truth was in fashion then and led to neo-realism and other developments in cinematic history.

Usavia Nihangdai (Silence in the Courts) produced by H D Premasiri &  Prasanna Vithanage is a true story enacted in cinematic terms. It sounds like a documentary feature film but in fact the creativity is visible in the deft cinematography and the dialogues and further the story enacted is a humanistic and implicitly suggests an indictment of some of those in our very recent judicial personnel. The artistry in handling violence though only words and a fleeting moment of seminude scene is to be applauded.

With English subtitles provided I could understand the dialogue well and fully appreciate the boldness of the producer and director and the players in the film.

I do not want to retell the story as the visuals speak full well the pathetic state of lawlessness and sexual exploitation of naïve village women.

Actualities of real evidences and the newspaper reference and the natural narration and utterance of Victor Ivan and others amply prove the law violators of the crime and how the Courts ignored the culprits. Graphics, Voice production and intimate faces all account for the pin drop silence observed in the theatre for full 60 minutes of showing, It was a silent approval of the film. One more feather in Prasanna Vithanage’s  cap. Congratulations.

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I have asked him to arrive punctually at 4.00 P.M. today since I would be free and relaxed after a heavy schedule of consultations. I run a clinic in Colombo- the Lankan capital helping people needing psychiatric treatment. They call me Sarojini, and I am the only woman consultant in Wellawatta, a Zonal region in Colombo. I am 32 years old. I have a teenage brother living with me and my husband.
At two minutes to four, I hear a faint scratching sound-his nails on the door-

“Come in, the door is open”

“Good Evening, Madame- I mean Doctor”

I turn on the soft green overhead lights while observing my young patient, who could be 19 or 20.

He sits on the sofa rather hesitantly but with underlying excitement. He stares blankly at the white walls.

He has not even noticed the glossy Western art - photography magazine featuring fully naked women with statuesque figures that I put out for him. I had wondered if he would react, which would give me a tentative psychiatric diagnosis.

I clear my voice softly.

Noticing him wearing a branded half-sleeve white shirt  and  dark blue slacks, and trendy black shoes and socks,  I thought to myself that in real he is not what appears seemingly naïve. He has come to see me with a purpose to impress me than asking for help for some sort of psychic problem.

Nevertheless I am curious to know what he intends to do at this session.

[ 'பிரேம்ஜி எழுத்துலகில் பொன்னாண்டு நிறைவு' என்னும் நூலினை இலங்கை முற்போக்கு எழுத்தாளர் சங்கம் 1988இல் வெளியிட்டது.  இத்தொகுப்பின் பதிப்பாசிரியராகவிருந்தவர் மறைந்த எழுத்தாளர் என்.சோமகாந்தன். இத்தொகுப்புக்காக,  தான் பிரேம்ஜி பற்றி எழுதிய கட்டுரையினை எழுத்தாளர் பிரேம்ஜியின் மறைவினையொட்டிப் 'பதிவுகள்' இணைய இதழுக்குத் திறனாய்வாளரும், எழுத்தாளருமான திரு. கே.எஸ்.சிவகுமாரன் அனுப்பியிருந்தார். அதனை இங்கு பிரசுரிக்கின்றோம். - பதிவுகள் ]

1950களின் பிற்பகுதி. எனது 20களுக்குள் பிரவேசம். தமிழ் வெகுஜன ஊடகத்துறையைப் பரிச்சயப் படுத்திக்கொள்ளும் காலம். சுதந்திரன் பத்திரிகையின் வளர்மதிப் பக்கத்தில் பெரியவர் துரைசாமி ம.த. லோரன்ஸ் ஆகியோரின் கணிப்பீனூடாக ஆக்கங்கள் அப்பக்கத்தில் வெளிவரத் தொடங்கின. மூத்த முன்னோடிப் பத்திரிகையாளர் எஸ்.டி.சிவநாயகம் அவர்கள் வழிகாட்டலில் அப்பத்திரிகை வெளிவந்து கொண்டிருந்தது. பிற்காலத்தில், இலங்கை தமிழ் அரசியற்துறையில் முக்கியஸ்தராக விளங்கப்போகும் இரத்தின சபாபதி (இணுவை மாறன்) அங்கு பணிபுரிந்தார். இவர்களுடன் இன்னுமொருவரும் அமைதியாக இருந்து எழுதிக்கொண்டிருப்பார். யார் அவர்? சிரிக்க மாட்டார். பார்வையிலேயே சீரியஸ் ஆன பிரமுகராக இருந்தார். விசாரித்தபொழுது, புதிய பார்வையில் பாரதிதாசனை எடைபோடும் எழுத்தாளர் பிரேம்ஜி ஞானசுந்தரன் என்றார்கள். அப்பொழுதுதான் முதல் அறிமுகம். ஆயினும் அந்நியோன்யம் கிடையாது.

It is not a joke. Honestly how many of the younger generation have heard of him. With history books and social studies books written with lot of grammatical and factual errors and even hiding and distorting history, one cannot expect our young people to know about him for the simple reason that this man who has a Thamil name. With enthusiasm all around to establish a Sinhala only state with Buddhists alone and discarding all minorities as aliens  as a hidden agenda is pursued in the name of Sinhala Buddhists as opposed to Buddhist Sinhalas, the rest of the sane Sinhalas, Thamilians, Muslims, Malays and other minorities in the country and the outside world watches the scene in awe. Because of the activities of such a minority of people who have influence and patronage shame is brought to the vast majority of the people belonging to the majority community.Even a street named after him in Colombo is taken away and instead some other name has been planted as if to erase all traces of contributions made by many Lankans to build up the nation.  This scholar Dr Ananda Coomarawamy was born to a Thamilian father and an English lady. Even then he is considered a full blooded Thamilian by a knavishly ignorant people who are in the forefront of politics discarding all the tenets of what the noble Buddha preached.As a Lankan Thamilian Hindu fond of Buddhism, I find it hard to believe that some members of the clergy behave like common criminals resorting to crime.

Perhaps students just introduced to the Romantic Poets of England would like to know something about Romanticism and the like which might help them to understand the kind of poetry in a better way. This article gives you the essential points. Romanticism was a term used in Germany and France at the end of the 18th and beginning of 19th century to classify a... new movement in literature, especially in poetry. The Romantic Age in English Literature is supposed to be the work of number of writers between 1790 and 1830, especially the six poets --- William Blake, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley and John Keats.

The poets
We must first take note of the fact that there is no strict classification of the Romantic Age. We must next see what is important and interesting in the Romantic Age with particular reference to Blake, Wordsworth, Shelley and Keats, the poets we have to study.

Percy Bysshe Shelley
Harold Bloom has described that English Romanticism saw itself as a renaissance of the English Poetry. This enthusiasm is shared by C M Bowra, when he says: a single characteristic which differentiates the English Romantics from the 18th century poets is the special importance given to the imagination. For the Romantics imagination is fundamental because, because they thin that without it poetry is impossible. In fact if we analyze the poetry of Blake, Wordsworth, Shelley and Keats we find that they were splendidly imaginative. This was part of the belief in the individual self which sought expression or release through the imagination.

The Old Guard should give way to the New Young

The Tamil community in Sri Lanka is in a dilemma today because of several factors chief among them is the old-fashioned politics among the leadership, particularly of the so-called Tamil National Alliance (TNA) which has sober people and extreme radicals, who refuse to see realities. Understandably the able Northern leaders decided the fate of the Thamilians in the North and East in the past. But they cannot do that anymore because there are emerging young people taking a realistic stance to ameliorate the problems of the people in that part of Lanka. Even in the heartland of the Northern peninsula signs are that educated young women and men are thinking differently. What had happened to the old guard was that they lacked farsightedness and reigning in an assumption that they are a superior lot compared with the people in the Northern Islands, East and the Hill Country based on caste and education they were blessed with. They openly downgraded others and wanted to reign supreme. But to be fair by the late SJV Chelvanayagam, a Christian, was an exception.

Madduvil is a place in the Yaalpaanam (Jaffna) peninsula in the North. A youngster from this area has been writing poems in Tamil for more than 10 years but many had had no opportunity to read them because he had not brought them in book form. However two books have been already published in recent time. This is the third one. This collection is called “Siraku Mulaiththa Theeyaaka…” (Like Fire with a Wing). This poet named Gnanakumaran was away in Germany for a long period of time and has come back to his motherland having qualified in the German language and presently teaches that tongue. He also interests himself in making short films. He has contacts with some of the writers in Tamilnadu. In the collection mentioned there are a number of poems with a few illustrations. Some of the poems are his attempts to write poetry, while a few others underline humanism as his motif. With his present maturity he could shine as a notable poet with a strong sense of a vision and philosophy.

One of the notable Lankan writers in Tamil is S Ponnuthurai who is also known as Es Po by his initials. One of his creative writing is a short fiction titled Sadangu. This has been translated into English by Prof Chelva Kanaganayakam of the University of Toronto in Canada. The English title of the book is 'Ritual'.  The book is published by The Three Wheeler Press - The Gratiaen Trust, c/o Marga Institute, Jayanthi Mawatha, Etul Kotte, Kotte. Prof Walter Perera, the Chairman of the Trust, the translator, Prof Chelva Kanaganayakm and the writer S Ponnuthurai have given the background regarding the publication.  Es Po lives Chennai and alternatively in Sydney. He is a phenomenal figure in contemporary Tamil Literature. He is both a creative writer and a critic. He is deemed a controversial figure in literary circles especially when he takes the role of a critic, but as a creative writer he has shown his talents as an innovative, imaginative and realistic writer with a unique literary style.

Documentary Film Making – how it developed.
This week I want your kind attention on the subject of “Documentary Film Making”. There seems to be some confusion in knowing what is known as a documentary and “Short Film” Let’s listen to a well informed writer and critic, Susan Hayward. Tracing the evolution of Movies, she writes: “The first filmmakers to make what were in essence travelogues and called   ‘documentaries’ were the Lumiere brothers in the 1890s. Thirty years later (1910) the British filmmaker and critic John Grierson reappropriated the word to apply to Robert Flaherty’s Moana (1926). Grierson was the founder of the 1930s documentary group in Britain and was one of the theorists influential in determining the nature of documentary.”

Uma Varatharajan is an avant-garde writer in Thamil hailing from the East living in Kalmunai, now in retirement from being the Senior Manager of Singer in that area. He writes at leisure and an aesthete at heart with a natural bent towards humour and a slight mischievousness in sarcasm. There are more than 250 creative writers – poets, dramatists, short story writers and novelists - in Thamil in this country. Among them a few writers write differently meaning writing fiction not confining them exclusively to write about ‘progressive’ themes such as social and political problems concerning caste and class differences, and the ethnic imbroglio. But in the writing of a handful of writers psychological and human condition takes primacy. Among the latter group of writers are Uma Varatharajan, A Saanthan, Somapala Ranjakumar, K Saddanathan, Kokila Mahendran and a few others who began writing such fiction in the1970s. One distinguishable quality in their writing was that they paid equal attention to the craft of the medium. This I found a miss in other social realism stories written by veteran writers though who were faithful in concentrating on the content than the structure and were rather careless about the form.

Yours truly now in Melbourne came across a selection of Tamil Short stories translated into English titled being alive compiled by L Murugapoopathy on behalf of the International Tamil Writers Forum Sri Lanka-Australia.. The Forum operates from 3 B, 46th Lane,Colombo 06 and Craigburn, Victoria 3064, Australia. The Stories are translated by Shiyamala Navaratnam of Canada and Edilbert N Rajadurai of Australia. There are 15 stories in this 106 page collection neatly printed by Kumaran Press Private Limited at B3,Ramya Place, Colombo 10. The writers concerned are: S Krishnamoorthy, Ravi, Kallodaikkaran, T Nithyakeerthi, A Chandirahasan, Buvana Rajaratnam, Nadesan, ,Rathi, Aasi Kantharajah, Arun Vijayarani, L Murugapoopathy, Aaliyal, T Gnanasekeran and T Kalaamani. The last two writers are resident in Lanka, but they had lied in Australia previously.Most of these writers are unknown to me and I have not previously read their writings.