Taking a cue from the propagation of Tirukkural through low-priced editions in the past, Seer Vasagar Vattam has brought out an anthology of Tamil writer Pudumaipithan’s short stories at an affordable price.
“The copies were priced at ₹100 each because of the financial support by way in the form of donations from well-wishers. We were able to sell 5,000 copies in a week. Another 10,000 copies are ready for the book fair. We have increased the price to ₹150 because the books have been printed without donations,” said V. Arasu, editor of the anthology and former head, Department of Tamil, Madras University.
Though it is a low-priced edition, the publishers have not compromised on the quality of printing and production. The book names the year and the magazines in which each story was first published. It also tells the reader about the deletions and additions subsequently made by Pudumaipithan. The publishers have acknowledged the contributors by publishing their names.
“Those who are active in politics very rarely take into consideration the role of art and literature. We have decided to propagate the ideas of Pudumaipithan since we strongly believe that the functions of art and literature are not inferior to political ideas,” said poet Thampi, one of the founders of Seer Vasagar Vattam.
He said the publication is a prelude to the efforts to bring out works of other great literary figures.
Mr. Arasu explained that Pudumaipithan, like Tiruvalluvar, Elango, Kamban, Bharathi and Bharathidasan, has a permanent place in Tamil literature and society. “We can see the politics of language in his fiction. He celebrated women. He had delved deep into the world of women’s minds and captured them in fiction. When the Indian economy witnessed a great depression in the 1930s, it also had a bearing in Tamil Nadu’s socio-economy. Pudumaipithan had satirised the crisis in his works,” he explained.
Mr. Arasu said the publication was a boon to students who could not afford a complete collection of Pudumaipithan’s works. Schools and colleges also have ordered copies.
