Era Natarasan Explained

Era Natarasan
Native Name:இரா நடராசன்
Native Name Lang:ta
Birth Date:1964 12, df=y
Birth Place:Lalgudi, Trichy, Tamil Nadu, India
Occupation:Children's writer
Headmaster of the Krishnasamy Memorial Matric Higher Secondary School
Signature:Natarasan Signature.jpg

Era Natarasan (Tamil: இரா நடராசன்; born 8 December 1964), popularly known as Ayesha Natarasan, is an Indian writer of children's books.[1] He writes in Tamil and English. He is the author of Ayisha (in English) / Ayesha (a Novella) that has sold millions of copies in 12 languages.[2] [3] [4] He has written more than 80 books most of them on science and Science Fiction including Vigyana vikramadhithyan kadhaigal which won the "Bal Sahitya Puraskar Award" for Children Literature, awarded by Sahitya Academy.[5] [6]

Life and career

He is the Principal (Head master) of the Krishnasamy Memorial Matric Higher Secondary School, in the coastal town of Cuddalore near Puducherry, India.[7]

Natarasan started his writing career as a poet in the Tamil weekly Ananda Vikatan in 1982 latter got interested to write short- stories Science and Science fiction for children so for he has written 83 books (72 in Tamil and 11 in English).[8] The Vigyana Vikramadhithyan Kadhaikal(2009) has in itself the history of the medical inventions such as, polio vaccine, insulin, and malaria vaccine, which received the Bala Sahitya Puraskar the Annual Sahitya Academy Award for children literature in 2014.

His recent work for teachers Idhu yarudaya vagupparai (Whose Classroom Is It?)[9] has received the Tamil Valarchithurai Virudhu in 2015, the award he has already received in 2001 for his book on Mathematics Kanidhathin kadhai.[10] Natarasan has brought a series (10 books) in English under the title Scientific Revolution on ten of the most notable scientists such as Galileo Galilei, Gregor Mendel, Marie Curie, and Albert Einstein. He is the writer and editor of The Puthagam Pesudhu – a Tamil monthly for books.[11]

Short films

Natarasan's four stories have been made into short films.

  1. Ayesha – was adopted into a 28 minutes short film by B. sivakumar Released in year of 2000, short film Ayesha won the National Film Award – Best short film of the year (National Film Festival, New Delhi)[12]
  2. Madhi – another short story (which was published by India Today (t) magazine) about the pathetic every day life of the third gender was filmed into a short film by cinematographer – Editor B. Lenin.
  3. Rathathin Vannathil (the color of Blood) story which received the Ilakkiya chindhanai Award, was made into a feature film in the title Chellamma by Director Pa.sivakumar.
  4. Vattathin Pakkangal (the sides of circle) was filmed as a feature film again by Director Pa.sivakumar.
  5. Ayesha Natarasan also appears in a supporting role in Director Thangar Bachan's famous film Ammavin Kaipesi.[13]

Educational activism

As an educational scholar and psychologist he is an activist supporting alternative education.[14] [15] He has translated Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed, a book on education into Tamil. He served as a master resource Person on Right to Education Act for UNICEF Sponsored workshops in Tamil Nadu. He played a major role as the member secretary in the Vasanthi Devi Committee on Alternate Education Policy (citizen's charter – against PM Modi's New Education Policy).[16] Ayesha Natarasan was in the Text Book committee formed by the Govt of Tamil Nadu on the eve of the common syllabus formation. As an education activist Natarasan has periodically participated in many education debates on television as a key speaker, including Star Vijay(Neeya Naana),[17] Sun TV (India) (virundhinar pakkam)[18] etc., His articles and interviews on education have appeared in many leading magazines/Dailies such as The Hindu,[1] Ananda Vikatan,[8] The Times of India (city)[19] Kungumam Vazhikatti, kalki Magazine etc., Era.Natarasan is also an active participant,[20] Resource Person cum trainer in book festivals children content seminars[21] and literary meets.[15] Ayesha Era.Natarasan was the Chief Organiser of the "National Children's Book Festival" conducted in Cuddalore South India (from 10 to 15 November 2017) collectively by National Book Trust, Books For Children and Sahitya Akademi involving more than 50,000 children.[22] [23] [24] Era Natarasan has given a discourse about the theme of "Books That Changed The World" in Anna Centenary Library on the date of 30 June 2018.[25]

Other awards and honours

Year of award or honour Name of award or honour Awarding organisation
1995Ilakiya Chindhanai Award (Best Short Story) Ilakya Chindhanai, Chennai.
2001Tamil Valarchithurai AwardGovernment of Tamil Nadu.
2002Thirpur Tamil Sangam Award (Best Translation award)Thirupur Tamil Sangam.
2008Dr. Radhakrishnan AwardGovernment of Tamil Nadu.[26]
2013Tamil Valarchithurai AwardGovernment of Tamil Nadu.[27]
2014Vikatan Award (Best children fiction)Ananda Vikatan.
2014Nigari Award (Samathuva Arisiyar of the year)Manarkeni Pathippagam (publications).[28]
2014Bal Sahitya Puraskar AwardSahitya Akademi, Government of India.[29]
2015Sujatha Award (Best Siru Pathirigai)Uyirmmai magazine, Sujatha Trust.[30]
2016Distinguished Alumni AwardJamal mohamed college.[31]

Notable works

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: 'Insulting the Child isn't education' . The Hindu . 2 September 2016. Nahla . Nainar . 8 October 2018.
  2. Web site: Ayesha Natarasan . Barathi Puthakalayam, India . 1999.
  3. Web site: Ayesha-English . A foreword written by author ERA. NATARAJAN, India . 1999 .
  4. Web site: Ayesha -Tamil . A foreword written by author ERA. NATARAJAN, India . 1999.
  5. Web site: Bal Sahithya Akademi winner dedicates award to book-loving children . The Hindu . 2014. 25 August 2014.
  6. Web site: Bal Sahitya Puraskar Award. Sahitya Academy, Government of India. 2015. 24 January 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150630000355/http://sahitya-akademi.gov.in/sahitya-akademi/awards/bal%20sahitya%20samman_suchi.jsp. 30 June 2015. dead.
  7. Web site: Krishnasamy Memorial Matric Higher Secondary school . Cuddalore, India . 1999 . 10 March 2017 . 19 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191219033856/https://krishnasamyschoolcud.com/ . dead .
  8. Web site: 'Ayisha' Natarasan's speech at Sakthi Vikatan's Camp. Vikatan . 2012.
  9. Web site: Ithu Yarudaya Vagupparai . books for children, India . 2013 .
  10. Web site: Kanidhathin kadhai. Bharathi Puthakalayam, India . 2001.
  11. Web site: writer, editor of The Puthagam Pesudhu . Puthagam Pesudhu.
  12. Web site: Ayesha part 1 (ஆயிஷா) . B.Sivakumar. 2017 . 10 April 2017.
  13. Web site: Thangar Bachan's famous film Ammavin Kaipesi . Ammavin Kaipesi. 2012 . 13 November 2012.
  14. Web site: Be role models, teachers told . The Hindu. 2016. 12 July 2016.
  15. Web site: Literary meeting: 150 and going strong . Circle of Paalam The Book Meet in Salem . 2016 . 1 August 2016.
  16. Web site: Vasanthi Devi Committee on Alternate Education Policy . Vasanthi Devi Committee . 2016 . 9 October 2016.
  17. Web site: Children's welfare activist Ayesha Era Natarasan . Star Vijay (Neeya Naana)* Season 10 * Episode 249 . 2016 . 6 March 2011.
  18. Web site: Sun Tv (Virundhinar Pakkam). Sun TV (India). 2015 . 11 November 2015.
  19. Web site: Children's Day: Copies of Tamil novelette Ayesha distributed to students, teachers . The Times of India(city) . 2014. 14 November 2014.
  20. Web site: ALAP book council trainer . Academy of Literary Arts and Publishing Singapore . 2012.
  21. Web site: AFCC National Book Development Council . AFCC. 2012.
  22. Web site: National Children's Book Festival. Kalaignar TV. 2017 . 11 November 2017.
  23. Web site: National Children's Book Festival 2017. Vetri Tv. 2017 . 11 November 2017.
  24. Web site: Vikatan Exclusive. vikatan. 2017 . 17 November 2017.
  25. Web site: Books That Changed The World. Anna Centenary Library. 2018 . 30 June 2018.
  26. Web site: Dr.Radhakrishnan Award . . 2008. 5 September 2008.
  27. Web site: Tamil Valarchithurai Award . . 2013.
  28. Web site: Manarkeni Pathippagam. Manarkeni Pathippagam . 2014 .
  29. Web site: Bal Sahitya Puraskar Award. Sahitya Academy, Government of India. 2015. 24 January 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150630000355/http://sahitya-akademi.gov.in/sahitya-akademi/awards/bal%20sahitya%20samman_suchi.jsp. 30 June 2015. dead.
  30. Web site: Sujatha Award. Uyirmmai . 2016.
  31. Web site: Distinguished Alumni Award. . 2016. 15 August 2016.

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