V. Annamalai, a prominent Tamil writer, better known as ‘Imayam,’ is a prominent writer in the present times. He is best known as a novelist. His first novel, Koveru Kazhudhaigal, which he wrote in his teens, was a matter of hot debate on Dalit topics. Till now, he has published eight novels, eight short story collections and a novella. His novel Selladha Panam was awarded the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 2020. He is closely associated with the Dravidian Movement and its politics.
Imayam – Progressive Tamil Writer of Modern Literature
V. Annamalai was born on 10th March 1964 in Kazhudur, South Arcot District. His birthplace now belongs to the Cuddalore District of Tamil Nadu. He completed his higher studies in Trichy. During his college days, he got drawn towards Sri Lankan as well as Russian literature, and started reading a lot of books related to both. He later shifted to Vriddhachalam, where he turned active in writing. Till college days, the only books he read were his academic books, just to get pass marks. He never read books outside the Tamil curriculum.
He is married to Pushpavalli and has two sons. His brother, C. V. Ganesan, is a politician who formerly served as the Minister of Labour Welfare and Skill Development for the state of Tamil Nadu, under M. K. Stalin’s government.
He attended a writer’s workshop, which ignited his passion to write
Once, he happened to attend a writer’s workshop, and that’s how he started thinking about writing. His first novel, Koveru Kazhudhaigal, was critically well acclaimed. He published the novel in 1994, when he was barely 18. The novel, which tells about a family of Dalit launderers who wash the clothes of other Dalit people, receiving grain and other food in return, has invited a lot of discussions and debates. He came into the spotlight and continued writing fictional stories and novels, telling the stories of suppressed sectors.
V. Annamalai chose the pen name, Imayam. In the Tamil language, the word translates literally to the Himalayas. For the writer, the name symbolizes the scale of his literary ambition—scaling structural heights to paint a brutal, honest, and towering portrait of contemporary society.
Imayam has been appreciated and also criticized for his ideas and works on Dalits
His most acclaimed works are Koveru Kazhudhaigal, Selladha Panam, Pethavan and Arumugam. Many of his works have been translated into English, Malayalam, French and other languages. Imayam’s second novel, ‘Arumugam’, released in 1999, was translated into French. His novella ‘Pethavan‘ was published in 2012.
He is a recipient of Thamizh Thendral Thiru. V. Ka. Award (2010), Periyar Award (2013), Iyal Award (2018), and Kuvempu Rashtriya Puraskar (2022) for his progressive writing. Anantha Vikatan Award, Agni Akshara Award, Amudhan Adigal Literature Award and Puthiya Thalaimurai Award are other major honours.
His debut novel ‘Koveru Kazhudhaigal’ won many awards, including Agni Aksara Award and Amudhan Adigal Ilakkiya Award for Literature. In 2026, he received the Sahitya Akademi Bhasha Samman, bestowed upon him in New Delhi for his overarching, monumental contributions to contemporary Indian literature.
He has been appointed as the Vice Chairperson of the Tamil Nadu State Scheduled Castes-Scheduled Tribes Commission.
Also read: Uma Devi: Tamil Lyricist and Poet
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