Oru Manushyante Mugham 1983
Oru Premathinte Baki 1988
Oru Erinjadangal 1990
Short Stories
Punchamalar 1935
Khoshayatra 1941
Adiozhukukal 1944
Nithyakanyaka 1945
Thakazhiyude Kadhakal 1945
Makalude Makal 1946
Pathivrada 1946
Manchuvatil 1947
Prathiagja 1947
Pratheekshakal 1947
Charitrasathyangal 1950
Inquilab 1951
Njarakangal 1955
Allinganam 1958
Njaan Piranna Nadu 1958
Kanakuthirkal 1958
Adhyathe Prasavam 1962
Thiranjedutha Kadhakal 1965
Changathimar 1969
Ekanthapadhikan 1969
Oru Kuttanadan Kadha 1992
Jeevithathinte Oru Edu 1993
Katha 2000
Vellapokavum Mattukpradhana Kadhakalum 2003
Thakazhiyude Pranaya Kadhakal 2004
Autobiography/Memoirs
Ente Vakkeel Jeevitham 1961
Ente Balyakalakadha 1967
Kure Kadhapatrangal 1980
Ormayude Theerangalil 1985
Other Works
Thottila (Drama) 1946
Kaalpadukal –
Indulekha 1962
American Thirasheela 1966
Ente Ullile Kadal 2000
Glossary
Accha, Achan: Father
Ammachi, Amma: Mother
Arayan: a caste among fishermen
Chakara: The big catch; occurrence of mud-banks and appearance of plenty of fish for a short period at some places along the Kerala coast during the monsoon.
Chedathi: sister, but used as a term to denote respect to an older person (woman)
Chettan/Chetta: brother, but used as a term to denote respect to an older person (man)
Ichechi, Chechi: elder sister
Kambavala: strong net
Kasavu/Zari: fine threads of gold or silver used in embroidery
Kuruchi: a kind of sea fish
Mannarshala Ayilyam: the main festival conducted in Mannarasala Sree Nagaraja Temple, located at Mannarasala in Alappuzha District. The festival is celebrated on the Ayilyam asterism, which comes in the Malayalam month of Kanni (September/October). During the festival days thousands of people assemble at the temple to worship and propitiate the serpent gods.
Marakkan: a caste among fishermen
Muhurtham: auspicious time
Mukkavan: a caste among fishermen
Mundu/ Mul mul mundu: a sarong made of white cotton cloth
Neriyathu: cloth with fine (thin) texture
Para: a large measure especially for measuring paddy (according to the ancient scale of measuring prevalent in Kerala, 4 Uzhakkus equal 1 Nazhi, 4 Nazhis equal 1 Itangazhi and 10 Itangazhis equal 1 Para). The size of paddy holdings were based on how many such measures of seed could be sown in those fields.
Podava: wedding cloth or saree
Pottey: a Brahmin caste name
Pottu: a decorative mark on the forehead
Theeyal: a kind of coconut-based vegetable curry with tamarind
Uruli: Shallow vessel made of bell-metal
Valakkaran: a caste among fishermen
Vaapa: father (term used by Malabar Muslims)
About the Author and Translator
THAKAZHI SIVASANKARA PILLAI (1912–1999) was a Malayali novelist and short story writer whose work focussed on the oppressed classes. He has written several novels and over 600 short stories. His best-known works include Kayar and Chemmeen. He won the Kendra Sahitya Academy award in 1958 and the Jnanpith award in 1984.
ANITA NAIR is the bestselling author of The Better Man, Ladies Coupé, Mistress and Lessons in Forgetting. Her books have been translated into over thirty languages. This is her first work of translation.
First published in India in 2011 by Harper Perennial
An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
Copyright © DC Books
Translation copyright © Anita Nair 2011
ISBN: 9789350290866
Epub Edition © AUGUST 2012 ISBN: 9789350292723
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T.S. Pillai asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work
This is a work of fiction and all characters and incidents described in this book are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved under The Copyright Act, 1957. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this ebook on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins Publishers India.
Cover design and background graphic Shuka Jain
Cover image Still from the film Chemmeen(1965), courtesy NFAI, Pune
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