Tamil writer and essayist S. Tamilselvan has won the Sahitya Akademi award for 2025 in the literary criticism category. The award is for his book Tamizh Sirugathaiyin Thadangal, which traces the history of Tamil short stories. The award was supposed to have been announced in December 2025, but was delayed.
Mr. Tamilselvan, editor of the literary magazine Semmalar, said there had been an attempt to destroy the autonomy of the Sahitya Akademi and that the announcement of the prize had been delayed by three months. “I was worried that I might be the last writer to receive the award from the autonomous body. I hope it will be allowed to function independently with its autonomy,” he said.
Mr. Tamilselvan, a former president and general secretary of the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artistes Association, also served as a State committee member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)). His short story Veyilodupoi was later made into a film as Poo starring actor Srikanth in the lead role.
The award is for his book Tamizh Sirugathaiyin Thadangal, which traces the history of Tamil short stories. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Tamizh Sirugathaiyin Thadangal begins with V.V.S. Iyer, whose Kulathankarai Aalamaram is considered the first Tamil short story.
“I started analysing the politics of Tamil short stories over the years and found that the pioneers of the genre made contributions that touched upon all aspects of the short story form,” Mr. Tamilselvan writes in the preface to the book. He provides a detailed account of the authors, the literary movements they belonged to, and the magazines in which their works were published, while analysing the literary merits and politics of the short stories.
P. Shanmugam, State secretary of the CPI(M), said Mr. Tamilselvan had been writing for the past 50 years and that his book Arasiyal Enakku Pidikkum, which explains Left-wing politics in simple terms, had sold lakhs of copies. Another of his books, Jindabad Jindabad, recounts a trade unionist’s experience in politics. Thiruppiaditha Varalaru is a 1,000-page account of the 100-year history of the communist movement and the empowerment of poor peasants in the erstwhile composite Thanjavur district.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin also congratulated Mr. Tamilselvan on winning the award. “Even though it is delayed, the award has reached the appropriate hands. Let your stories be translated into other languages so that our stories reach everyone,” he said in a message on social media.
Published - March 16, 2026 07:33 pm IST
