Shreekumar Varma
Encyclopedia
Shreekumar Varma is an India
n author, playwright, newspaper columnist and poet, known for the novels Lament of Mohini (Penguin, 2000), Maria's Room (Harper Collins, 2010), Devil's Garden: Tales Of Pappudom (Puffin, 2006), The Magic Store of Nu-Cham-Vu (Puffin, 2009) and the historical book for children, Pazhassi Raja: The Royal Rebel (Macmillan, 1997). He is the great great grandson of the artist Raja Ravi Varma
and grandson of Regent Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi
, the last ruling Maharani of Travancore
.
. His parents left Kerala
and settled down in Madras when he was four. He studied in the Good Shepherd Convent, the Madras Christian College High School and the Madras Christian College
, from where he completed his MA and M.Phil in English Literature. He also did a course in Journalism from the Bhavan's College of Journalism and Mass Communication. He took part in plays in school and college, and also participated in and devised programmes for All India Radio
. He worked for the Indian Express and the Film Industry Journal (renamed Cinema Today) in Bombay. Back in Madras, he was associated with a printing press, as well as a publishing and creative training unit. He taught English Literature and Journalism at the Madras Christian College. He was a charter member and President of the Rotary Club of Madras Southwest. His mother is the Matriarch of the Travancore Royal Family
.
He lives in Chennai
, and is a full-time writer and adjunct professor at the Chennai Mathematical Institute
. He is married to Geeta and has two sons, Vinayak and Karthik. He is a cousin of artist Rukmini Varma
.
His two award-winning plays, The Dark Lord (directed by Vinod Anand) and Bow Of Rama (dir. Noshir Ratnakar), were staged by The British Council (1986) and The Madras Players
(1993) respectively.
His play, Platform, was staged by The Madras Players in January 2005. (dir. N. S. Yamuna)
His play Midnight Hotel (Madras Players) had ten shows in Chennai and Bangalore in March, April, May and August 2009. It raised more than ₨ 40 lakhs for the social service programmes of the Christian Medical College, Vellore. (dir. Mithran Devanesen)
His play Nathu's Dream (Bala Vidya Mandir) was produced as a musical in September 2010. (dir. Neeta Shrikanth)
His political play Five (Thespian en) was performed as supper theatre to a packed Chennai audience in November 2010 (dir. Ajit Chitturi).
He has written regular columns for The Hindu, The New Indian Express, The Economic Times Madras Plus, Ritz Magazine, Fiji Times, Chennai Times and the Deccan Herald.
He has contributed poetry, fiction and non-fiction to several anthologies, including Poetry Society of India volumes, Aesthetica Quarterly Review, Pulse Berlin Magazine, A Hudson View Poetry Digest, Where The Rain Is Born: Writings from Kerala (Penguin), The Puffin Book of Poetry for Children, the Puffin Book of Funny Stories, The Tenth Rasa: An Anthology of Indian Nonsense (Penguin), A Cup Of Chai & Other Stories (Unisun Publications), Favourite Stories for Boys (Puffin), Bring Down The House Lights (The Madras Players), Tonight: An Anthology of World Love Poetry (The Poets Printery, East London, S. Africa), Kerala Kerala, Quite Contrary (Rupa Publications), Get Smart: Writing Skills (Puffin), Chicken Soup For The Indian Spiritual Soul (Westland), Why We Don't Talk (Rupa)and Dark Moon Rising (Puffin).
He has translated poetry and fiction from the original Malayalam into English for the OUP Anthology of Malayalam Dalit Writings in Translation (Oxford University Press).
His debut novel Lament of Mohini was Longlisted for the Crossword Book Award. It featured on the Asian Age Top Ten List.
His novel Maria's Room was Longlisted for the inaugural Man Asia Literary Prize (2007). It featured on the India Today Top 20 List.
His children's book The Magic Store of Nu-Cham-Vu was Shortlisted for the Vodafone Crossword Book Award 2009.
His poetry was used as text for the dance recitals Vamshi and Monsoon by noted Bharatanatyam
exponent Indira Kadambi.
His play "The Dark Lord" was awarded II prize in the British Council South India Playwrights Competition.
His play "Bow of Rama" won first prize in The Hindu All-India Playscripts competition.
His play "Deep Inside" (re-titled "Midnight Hotel" for performance) was Longlisted for the first MetroPlus Playscripts competition.
His play "Platform" was selected to launch the 50th year celebrations of The Madras Players, India's oldest running English theatre group.
He was on the Jury of the Karadi Tales and Deccan Herald short story contests, and the inaugural The Hindu Fiction Award, as well as the Prakriti Foundation poetry competition.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n author, playwright, newspaper columnist and poet, known for the novels Lament of Mohini (Penguin, 2000), Maria's Room (Harper Collins, 2010), Devil's Garden: Tales Of Pappudom (Puffin, 2006), The Magic Store of Nu-Cham-Vu (Puffin, 2009) and the historical book for children, Pazhassi Raja: The Royal Rebel (Macmillan, 1997). He is the great great grandson of the artist Raja Ravi Varma
Raja Ravi Varma
Raja Ravi Varma was an Indian painter from the princely state of Travancore who achieved recognition for his depiction of scenes from the epics of the Mahabharata and Ramayana...
and grandson of Regent Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi
Sethu Lakshmi Bayi
Maharani Pooradam Thirunal Sethu Lakshmi Bayi CI was the ruler of Travancore as regent for her nephew, Chithira Tirunal from 1924 until late 1931...
, the last ruling Maharani of Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
.
Biography
Varma was born in 1955 in Satelmond Palace, Poojapura, ThiruvananthapuramThiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
. His parents left Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
and settled down in Madras when he was four. He studied in the Good Shepherd Convent, the Madras Christian College High School and the Madras Christian College
Madras Christian College
The Madras Christian College, commonly known as MCC, is a liberal arts and sciences college in Madras , India. Founded in 1837, MCC is one of Asia's oldest extant colleges. Currently, the college is affiliated to the University of Madras, but functions as an autonomous institution from its campus...
, from where he completed his MA and M.Phil in English Literature. He also did a course in Journalism from the Bhavan's College of Journalism and Mass Communication. He took part in plays in school and college, and also participated in and devised programmes for All India Radio
All India Radio
All India Radio , officially known since 1956 as Akashvani , is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati. Established in 1936, it is the sister service of Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster. All India Radio is one of the largest radio networks...
. He worked for the Indian Express and the Film Industry Journal (renamed Cinema Today) in Bombay. Back in Madras, he was associated with a printing press, as well as a publishing and creative training unit. He taught English Literature and Journalism at the Madras Christian College. He was a charter member and President of the Rotary Club of Madras Southwest. His mother is the Matriarch of the Travancore Royal Family
Travancore Royal Family
The Travancore Royal Family descended from the Venad line of the Cheras and ruled over the Indian state of Travancore until 1947.The Royal family, alternatively known as the Kupaka Royal Family, Thripappur Swaroopam, Venad Swaroopam, Vanchi Swaroopam etc., has its seat today at Trivandrum in...
.
He lives in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, and is a full-time writer and adjunct professor at the Chennai Mathematical Institute
Chennai Mathematical Institute
Chennai Mathematical Institute is a research and education institute in Chennai, India. It was founded by the SPIC Science Foundation in 1989, and offers undergraduate as well as postgraduate programmes in physics, mathematics and computer science, besides its key strength in the form of high-end...
. He is married to Geeta and has two sons, Vinayak and Karthik. He is a cousin of artist Rukmini Varma
Rukmini Varma
Rukmini Varma is an Indian artist based in Bangalore. Born as H.H. Bharani Thirunal Rukmini Bayi, Fourth Princess of Travancore to H.H. Princess Uthram Thirunal Lalithamba Bayi and Sri. Kerala Varma Avargal, she is a granddaughter of Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi and belongs to the Travancore Royal...
.
Literary works
His novels include Lament of Mohini (Penguin) and Maria's Room (Harper Collins). His books for children include Pazhassi Raja: The Royal Rebel (Macmillan), Devil's Garden (Puffin) and The Magic Store of Nu-Cham-Vu (Puffin). The Magic Store of Nu-Cham-Vu is also available as a digital "talking" book for the blind and the dyslexic.His two award-winning plays, The Dark Lord (directed by Vinod Anand) and Bow Of Rama (dir. Noshir Ratnakar), were staged by The British Council (1986) and The Madras Players
The Madras Players
The Madras Players is an Indian amateur theatre group and is the oldest English-language theatre group in Chennai, India. The Madras Players have staged over 240 theatre productions over the span of more than fifty years.-History:...
(1993) respectively.
His play, Platform, was staged by The Madras Players in January 2005. (dir. N. S. Yamuna)
His play Midnight Hotel (Madras Players) had ten shows in Chennai and Bangalore in March, April, May and August 2009. It raised more than ₨ 40 lakhs for the social service programmes of the Christian Medical College, Vellore. (dir. Mithran Devanesen)
His play Nathu's Dream (Bala Vidya Mandir) was produced as a musical in September 2010. (dir. Neeta Shrikanth)
His political play Five (Thespian en) was performed as supper theatre to a packed Chennai audience in November 2010 (dir. Ajit Chitturi).
He has written regular columns for The Hindu, The New Indian Express, The Economic Times Madras Plus, Ritz Magazine, Fiji Times, Chennai Times and the Deccan Herald.
He has contributed poetry, fiction and non-fiction to several anthologies, including Poetry Society of India volumes, Aesthetica Quarterly Review, Pulse Berlin Magazine, A Hudson View Poetry Digest, Where The Rain Is Born: Writings from Kerala (Penguin), The Puffin Book of Poetry for Children, the Puffin Book of Funny Stories, The Tenth Rasa: An Anthology of Indian Nonsense (Penguin), A Cup Of Chai & Other Stories (Unisun Publications), Favourite Stories for Boys (Puffin), Bring Down The House Lights (The Madras Players), Tonight: An Anthology of World Love Poetry (The Poets Printery, East London, S. Africa), Kerala Kerala, Quite Contrary (Rupa Publications), Get Smart: Writing Skills (Puffin), Chicken Soup For The Indian Spiritual Soul (Westland), Why We Don't Talk (Rupa)and Dark Moon Rising (Puffin).
He has translated poetry and fiction from the original Malayalam into English for the OUP Anthology of Malayalam Dalit Writings in Translation (Oxford University Press).
Awards and recognitions
He was awarded the Charles Wallace Fellowship for the year 2004, and was Writer-in-Residence at Stirling University, Scotland.His debut novel Lament of Mohini was Longlisted for the Crossword Book Award. It featured on the Asian Age Top Ten List.
His novel Maria's Room was Longlisted for the inaugural Man Asia Literary Prize (2007). It featured on the India Today Top 20 List.
His children's book The Magic Store of Nu-Cham-Vu was Shortlisted for the Vodafone Crossword Book Award 2009.
His poetry was used as text for the dance recitals Vamshi and Monsoon by noted Bharatanatyam
Bharatanatyam
Bharata Natyam or Chadhir Attam, is a classical dance form from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, practiced predominantly in modern times by women. The dance is usually accompanied by classical Carnatic music...
exponent Indira Kadambi.
His play "The Dark Lord" was awarded II prize in the British Council South India Playwrights Competition.
His play "Bow of Rama" won first prize in The Hindu All-India Playscripts competition.
His play "Deep Inside" (re-titled "Midnight Hotel" for performance) was Longlisted for the first MetroPlus Playscripts competition.
His play "Platform" was selected to launch the 50th year celebrations of The Madras Players, India's oldest running English theatre group.
He was on the Jury of the Karadi Tales and Deccan Herald short story contests, and the inaugural The Hindu Fiction Award, as well as the Prakriti Foundation poetry competition.
See also
- Travancore Royal FamilyTravancore Royal FamilyThe Travancore Royal Family descended from the Venad line of the Cheras and ruled over the Indian state of Travancore until 1947.The Royal family, alternatively known as the Kupaka Royal Family, Thripappur Swaroopam, Venad Swaroopam, Vanchi Swaroopam etc., has its seat today at Trivandrum in...
- Raja Ravi VarmaRaja Ravi VarmaRaja Ravi Varma was an Indian painter from the princely state of Travancore who achieved recognition for his depiction of scenes from the epics of the Mahabharata and Ramayana...
- Sethu Lakshmi BayiSethu Lakshmi BayiMaharani Pooradam Thirunal Sethu Lakshmi Bayi CI was the ruler of Travancore as regent for her nephew, Chithira Tirunal from 1924 until late 1931...
- Theatre of India
External links
- A Writer's World, Shreekumar Varma's Homepage
- The MetroPlus Show interview
- Doordarshan interview
- NDTV Hindu interview