Stories are written not by me but by society: Tamil writer Imayam

Tamil contemporary writer Imayam may not be very popular in Kerala, but his bold and fearless writing is sure to impress even those who understand only bits of Tamil. He speaks with conviction, and his honesty shines through.

In a discussion titled "I do not write my stories," Imayam openly says that his inspiration doesn’t come from famous writers—many of whom he would not have met or have read their books. Instead, his stories come from the people of his own village. They are his true storytellers. His story revolves around social realities and has drawn acclaim for authencity and great human insight.

The Tamil language might be a challenge for some in the audience, but when he said, "I don’t write my stories, society does," the applause proves that emotions speak louder than words.

With eight novels and eight short story collections to his name, Imayam speaks without fear. He openly criticises the media, saying, "The media is responsible for fueling social unrest. YouTube channels take bribes and promote paid news. There's even a new term for it now—'package'."

Imayam wrote his first book, Koveru Kazhuthaigal, at just 18 years old. He believes that if he could write about an elderly character at a young age, he can just as easily write about a young character now at 61. He has no regrets about his early work and doesn’t dwell on whether he could have written it better.

His novel Pethavan has been translated into French and is now part of Oxford University’s syllabus. The book, set in rural Tamil Nadu, tackles the harsh reality of honour killings. It tells the heartbreaking story of a father forced by the village panchayat to kill his own daughter for choosing to marry a Dalit boy.

Imayam concludes the session by stating that his stories reflect the real lives of people from the lower strata of society. He also thanks Albert, who once advised him, "Write what you know."