K. Saraswathi Amma (14 April 1919 – 26 December 1975)[1] was a Malayalam feminist writer whose short stories have been anthologised in translation in several American texts. According to critic Jancy James, "In the entire history of women's writing in Kerala, Saraswathi Amma's is the most tragic case of the deliberate neglect of female genius."[2]
K. Saraswathi Amma | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 14 April 1919 |
| Died | 26 December 1975 (aged 56) |
| Occupation | Feminist short story writer |
| Language | Malayalam and English |
| Nationality | Indian |
Literary career
editK. Saraswathi Amma's first short story was published in 1938, followed by 12 volumes of short stories, a novel, and a play. In 1958, a book of essays titled Purushanmarillatha Lokam[2] was published. In her time she was dubbed as a 'man hater,' but later feminist scholars have celebrated her.[2][3]
J. Devika in her article titled 'Beyond Kulina and Kulata: The Critique of Gender Difference in the Writings of K. Saraswati Amma', in Indian Journal of Gender Studies re-reads the writings of K. Saraswathi Amma, whom she describes "an author marginalised within the Malayalee literary universe and labelled as an incorrigible man-hater."[3] Devika considers her paper an "effort to read her writing as an engagement with the positions taken in the debates around modern gender in the early 20th-century Malayalee public sphere."[3]
A selection of Saraswathi Amma's fiction, some of it translated into English, was published under the title Stories from a forgotten feminist.[4][5] In the foreword, Jancy James says, "In stories she shattered women's illusions about men and about love, and bitterly attacked patriarchy and tradition, giving her the reputation of being a strident feminist."[4]
Works
editNovel
edit- Premabhajanam (Darling) - 1944
Play
edit- Devaduth (Messenger of God) -1945
Short stories
edit- Ponnumkudam (Pot of Gold) - 1946
- SthreeJanmam (Born as a woman) - 1946
- Keezhjeevanakkari (Subjugated woman) - 1949
- Kalamandiram (Temple of art) - 1949
- Penbuddhi (Women's wit) - 1951
- Kanatha Mathil (Thick wall) - 1953
- Prema Pareekshanam (Experiment of love) - 1955
- Chuvanna Pookkal (Red flowers) - 1955
- Cholamarangal (Shady trees) - 1958
Collection of essays
edit- Purushanmaarillatha Lokam (A World Without Men) - 1958
Posthumously published
edit- Stories from a forgotten feminist
References
edit- ^ "Sarasvati Amma, Ke., 1919-1975". Library of Congress. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
verso (K. Saraswathiyamma) p. 48 (born on April 14, 1919) p. 60 (died on December 26, 1975)
- ^ a b c Deepu Balan. "K. Saraswathiamma - sahithya Academy - Samyukta :: A Journal of Women's Studies". samyukta.info. Archived from the original on 7 December 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b c Devika, J. (June 2003). "Beyond Kulina and Kulata: the critique of gender difference in the writings of K. Saraswati Amma". Indian Journal of Gender Studies. 10 (2): 201–228. doi:10.1177/097152150301000202. S2CID 145734274.
- ^ a b "Stories from a Forgotten Feminist, Jancy James (Introduction ) K Saraswaiti Amma - Shop Online for Books in Australia". fishpond.com.au.
- ^ Stories from a Forgotten Feminist: K. Saraswaiti Amma, Jancy James: 9788185107622: Amazon.com: Books. ISBN 978-8185107622.
- ^ "Volume II: The Twentieth Century" (PDF). Women Writing in India 600 B.C. to the present. The Feminist Press at The City University of New York. 1993. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
- ^ Tharu, Susie J.; Lalita, Ke (1991). Women Writing in India: The twentieth century. Feminist Press at CUNY. ISBN 9781558610293.
