In the first of a two-part series, J. Devika writes about the life of Saraswathi Amma, her contributions to feminist[…]
Read moreTag: literature
Kerala’s Own Petrofiction: Literary Interventions in Gulf Migration Studies
Priya Menon writes about the different dimensions of an emerging genre of ‘petrofiction’ in Keralan literature, in the context of[…]
Read moreMalayalam and Kerala’s Covid-19 Transformation: Some thoughts during lockdown
Kerala’s COVID-19 response has gained international attention for its egalitarian approach. Ophira Gamliel reflects on how studying the Malayalam language[…]
Read moreThe Mathilakom Records: Untold Vignettes from Travancore History
Drawing our attention to a largely unexplored, and incredibly vast, archive of Travancorean history, Dr. Vysakh A. S. presents a few intriguing snippets from Uma Maheshwari’s book on the eponymous archive, Mathilakom Records.
Read moreസുഖിക്കാന് ഭയന്ന മലയാളി
ആധുനികമലയാളസാഹിത്യത്തിലെ സുഖവിരുദ്ധ-നിർമിതിയും പുതിയ സുഖങ്ങളും കേരളത്തിൽ ഏറ്റുമുട്ടുന്നതിന്റെ സാംസ്കാരിക-രാഷ്ട്രീയ വശങ്ങൾ യാക്കോബ് തോമസ് വിശകലനം ചെയ്യുന്നു.
Read moreThe Subaltern Environmentalism of Mayilamma
The Plachimada struggle for justice, and its leader, Mayilamma, stand for a broader ethos of eco-justice by those who are most directly impacted by it. Sreejith R. Varma reflects on the project of translating and interpreting Mayilamma’s narrative.
Read moreAgainst Aachaaram: When is your cloth clean/pure/both?
Traditional elites harboured peculiar notions of purity and pollution in pre-modern Kerala, which were revised by the neo-savarna of twentieth-century. This article reflects on notions of personal hygiene, cleanliness and clothing, using two excerpts from early-modern Kerala.
Read moreTranslating Shakespeare in Kerala
Ever since his works began to be translated into Malayalam in the mid-nineteenth century, Shakespeare’s adaptations have appeared as books, plays, comics and films in Kerala. Thea Buckley writes about the history of Kerala’s engagement with Shakespearean literature.
Read moreAyyappan and A History of Desire in India
How can revisiting the various age-old legends about Ayyappan nuance the debate on women’s entry to Sabarimala in contemporary Kerala? The following is an excerpt from Madhavi Menon’s book, Infinite Variety: A History of Desire in India (Delhi: Speaking Tiger, 2018).
Read moreAncient Chera kingdom: Notes from the Sangam book Pathitruppathu
Pathitruppathu (പതിറ്റുപ്പത്ത്), a Sangam book dedicated to the Chera kingdom, has rich descriptions of the everyday life and practices of[…]
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