K. Srilata Explained

Srilata K
Birth Place:	Ranchi
Nationality:	Indian
Occupation:	Academic, Poet, Author

K. Srilata (also known as Srilata Krishnan) is an Indian poet, fiction writer, translator and academic based in Chennai.^[1] Her poem, In Santa Cruz, Diagnosed Home Sick won the First Prize in the All India Poetry Competition (organized by the British Council and The Poetry Society (India)) in 1998.^[2] She has also been awarded the Unisun British Council Poetry Award (2007) and the Charles Wallace writing residency at the University of Sterling (2010).^[3] Her debut novel Table for Four was long-listed in 2009 for the Man Asian Literary Prize and released in 2011.^{[4] [5]}

Srilata’s most recent collection of poems Three Women in a Single-Room House was published by Sahitya Akademi in 2023.^{[6] [7] [8] [9]}  Her critically acclaimed book This Kind of Child: The ‘Disability’ Story, which brought together first-person accounts, interviews and short fiction on the disability experience, was published by Westland in 2022.^{[10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17]} Srilata’s poems have been widely anthologized and featured in collections such as The Bloodaxe Book of Contemporary Indian Poets and The Penguin Book of Indian Poets.

A Fulbright pre-doctoral scholar at the University of California, Santa Cruz, Srilata has a masters and a PhD in Literature from the University of Hyderabad. Formerly a Professor of Literature at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, Srilata took early retirement in order to focus more fully on her writing. She has been a participating writer at the Jaipur Literary Festival, the Bangalore Literary Festival, the Seoul International Writers Festival, the Sahitya Akademi’s International Literature Festival, the Hindu Lit for Life festival, the Hyderabad Literary Festival and the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival.

Career

Her first book of poems, Seablue Child, was published in 2000, followed by Arriving Shortly (2011).^{[18] [19]} Other poetry collections are Writing Octopus (2013), Bookmarking the Oasis (2015)^{[20] [21]} and The Unmistakable Presence of Absent Humans (2019).^{[22] [23]} Srilata also translated from Tamil to English two millennia worth of poetry titled Rapids of a Great River: The Penguin Book of Tamil Poetry - along with Lakshmi Holmstrom and Subashree Krishnaswamy.^[24] Her other work includes translations of R. Vatsala's Tamil novels Once there was a girl (Vattathul), The Scent of Happiness (Kannukkul Satru Payanithu), a co-translation along with Shobhana Kumar of the Tamil poet Salma’s work i, Salma (Red River), and a translation of women's writing from the Self-Respect Movement The Other Half of the Coconut: Women Writing Self-Respect History.^{[25] [26]} Yoda Press has published an Indo-Irish collaborative poetry anthology All the Worlds Between that Srilata co-edited with Fiona Bolger.^[27] Srilata has co-edited Lifescapes: Interviews with Contemporary Women Writers from Tamil Nadu (Women Unlimited), along with Swarnalatha Rangarajan.

Srilata has been a writer-in-residence at the University of Stirling, at Sangam House and at the Yeonhui Art Space in Seoul. Srilata co-curates the CMI Arts Initiative along with Madhavan Mukund and K.V. Subrahmanyam, apart from hosting a writing residency in partnership with Sangam House. Srilata is also part of the team that runs Yavanika Press, an e-publishing site specializing in poetry.

Srilata was previously a professor at IIT Madras where she taught Creative Writing, Fiction, Advanced English and Translation Studies.^[28] Srilata is adjunct professor at the Chennai Mathematical Institute.^[29]

Bibliography

Poetry Collections

• Three Women in a Single-Room House. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi: 2023,
• The Unmistakable Presence of Absent Humans. Mumbai: Paperwall/Poetrywala, 2019,
• All the Worlds Between: A Collaborative Poetry Project Between India and Ireland. (Co-edited with Fiona Bolger). New Delhi: Yoda, 2017,
• Bookmarking the Oasis. Mumbai: Paperwall/Poetrywala, 2015,
• Writing Octopus. New Delhi: Authorspress, 2013,
• Arriving Shortly. Kolkata: Writers Workshop, 2011,
• Seablue Child. Kolkata: The Brown Critique, 2002

Fiction

• Table for Four. New Delhi: Penguin, 2011,

Non-Fiction

• This Kind of Child: The `Disability’ Story. New Delhi: Westland, 2022,
• Short Fiction from South India (co-edited with Subashree Krishnaswamy). New Delhi: OUP, 2008,
• Lifescapes: Interviews with Contemporary Women Writers from Tamilnadu (co-edited with Swarnalatha Rangarajan). New Delhi: Women Unlimited, 2019,

Translations

• The Rapids of a Great River: The Penguin Book of Tamil Poetry Penguin Book of Tamil Poetry (co-edited with Lakshmi Holmstrom and Subashree Krishnaswamy). New Delhi: Penguin India, 2009,
• Once There Was a Girl (translation of the Tamil novel Vattathul by R.Vatsala). Kolkata: Writers Workshop, 2012, ^[30]
• The Scent of Happiness (co-translation with Kaamya Sharma of Kannukkul Satru Payanithu, a Tamil novel by R Vatsala). New Delhi: Ratna Sagar, 2021, ^{[31] [32] [33] [34]}
• Salma: Selected Poems (co-translation with Shobhana Kumar of the Tamil poet Salma’s work). New Delhi: Red River, 2023,

Academic/Editing

• The Other Half of the Coconut: Women Writing Self-Respect History. New Delhi: Zubaan, 2003,
• Short Fiction from South India, (co-edited with Subashree Krishnaswamy). New Delhi: OUP, 2008,
• Lifescapes: Interviews with Contemporary Women Writers from Tamilnadu (co-edited with Swarnalatha Rangarajan). New Delhi: Women Unlimited, 2019,

Featured in

• The Bloodaxe Book of Contemporary Indian Poets. Northumberland: BloodAxe, 2008,
• The Harper Collins Book of English Poetry. New Delhi: Harper Collins, 2012,
• A Poem a Day (edited by Gulzar). New Delhi: Harper Collins, 2020,
• The Penguin Book of Indian Poets. New Delhi: Penguin, 2022,
• The Dance of the Peacock: An Anthology of English Poetry from India (ed. Dr Vivekanand Jha). Canada: Hidden Brook Press, 2013, ^[35]
• "For [Jeanne Mukuninwa]", "What father left us", and "Gomati",The Harper Collins Book of English Poetry (ed. Sudeep Sen). India, 2013,
• Another Country: An Anthology of Post-Independence Poetry in English, (ed. Arundhathi Subramaniam). New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi, 2013,
• "England, 1999", "A Somewhat Different Question", and "I Wear Wordlessness like a Tattered Dress", Caravan, February 2013^[36]
• "Poem Walk", Kavya Bharati, 2011, No. 23
• "Drunken, Gasping Fish-lungs", "Mining", and "Slow Trot", Muse India, Issue 63^[37]
• "A Brief History of Writing", and "Gravity", Prairie Schooner 87, no. 2, 2013^[38]
• "Mazhai/Rain", Sonic Boom, Issue 3, 2014^[39]

Stories

• "You Expert Woman, You", Guftugu, May 2017^[40]
• "Mynah Hands, Flying Fingers", The Punch Magazine, April 2017^[41]
• "Rainbow Loom Bracelet", Out of Print, September 2015^[42]
• "Cousin, Newly Acquired", Madras Mag, October 2014^[43]
• "These Things Happen if You Don't Watch it", Volume 28, Issue 3, Wasafiri, 2013^[44]
• "Game of Asylum Seekers", Breaking the Bow: Speculative Fiction Inspired by the Ramayana (edited by Anil Menon and Vandana Singh), Zubaan, 2012,
• "Sarasu", the Little Magazine, Vol. 5, Issue 4, 2004; First Impressions: Stories and Plays Shortlisted for the TLM New Writing Award, 2006 (the Little Magazine, New Delhi, 2006), Other People: The Sangam House Reader Vol. I, Sangam House 2011
• "State of Whiteness", The Shrinking Woman and Other Stories, Bangalore: Unisun, 2009,
• "How Do I Love Thee?: Let Me Count the Ways", The Penguin Book of New Writing From India 2: First Proofs, New Delhi: Penguin, 2006

Sources

• Eighth National Poetry Competition 1998 - Award Winners
• K Srilata - An Interview
• Selected Poetry of K Srilata
• India Writes - Contemporary Indian Poetry
• Poems by K Srilata on Recours au Poeme
• "Terra Nullius" on Recours au Poeme
• "Dreaming Mostly of Nameless Things" on Origami Poems
• "Dreaming, Mostly of Nameless Things" on YouTube
• "Somewhere a Skylight" on Origami Poems
• "Not in the Picture" and "A Big Elephant in My Room"
• K Srilata - Poetry at Sangam House
• "Boxes have that Effect" at Right Hand Pointing
• K Srilata - Poetry International Web
• Taut and Crisp on The Hindu Verse Reviews
• Penning Verse on The Hindu
• K Srilata - Poemhunter.com
• "A Disappeared Person", "Boundaries", "Behind me, a Slow, Full Moon" and "Slender" on Brown Critique

Notes and References

1. Web site: K. Srilata . 2024-02-14 . www.brinkerhoffpoetry.org . en-US.
2. Web site: Comp8 . 24 November 2011 . 1 October 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111001230115/http://indianpoetry.org/comp8.htm . dead .
3. Web site: Literature and Languages – University of Stirling. english.stir.ac.uk. 2016-04-02. 26 April 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120426001423/http://www.english.stir.ac.uk/research/profile/charleswallace.php. dead.
4. Web site: Man Asian Literary Prize | Man Asian Literary Prize website and entry form . 2011-11-24 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120512144333/http://www.manasianliteraryprize.org/k-srilata/ . 12 May 2012 . dmy-all .
5. News: 2011-12-03 . Dinnertime thrills . 2024-02-14 . The Hindu . en-IN . 0971-751X.
6. Web site: Srilata . K. . 2024-01-23 . 'You must write the poems you must write': Five from K Srilata's new book of poetry . 2024-02-14 . Scroll.in . en-US.
7. Web site: 'This Is a Poem that Shouldn't Be Written...' . 2024-02-14 . The Wire.
8. Web site: Shetty . Manohar . 2024-02-08 . 'There's blood on my knuckles' . 2024-02-14 . Frontline . en.
9. Web site: Raghu . Archita . 2024-02-07 . Poet K Srilata explores intimate spaces and women's resilience in 'Three Women in a Single-Room House' . 2024-02-14 . The New Indian Express . en.
10. News: Ramachandran . Nalini . 2023-01-20 . Review of K. Srilata's This Kind of Child: The 'Disability' Story: The invisible people . 2024-02-14 . The Hindu . en-IN . 0971-751X.
11. Web site: Khetal . Harvinder . 15 January 2023 . 'This Kind of Child — The 'Disability' Story' by K Srilata: Rap to 'normal' world . 14 February 2024 . The Tribune . 0041-2821.
12. Web site: 2022-12-21 . Excerpt: This Kind of Child by K Srilata . 2024-02-14 . Hindustan Times . en.
13. News: Bureau . The Hindu . 2022-12-24 . Book on This Kind of A Child launched . 2024-02-14 . The Hindu . en-IN . 0971-751X.
14. News: 2022-12-04 . How a mother came to terms with her child's disability . 2024-02-14 . The Times of India . 0971-8257.
15. Web site: PTI . 2022-12-02 . 'This Kind of Child': Book chronicles lives of persons with disabilities thorough interviews, essays . 2024-02-14 . ThePrint . en-US.
16. Web site: Witucki . Kristen . 2022-12-19 . A blind writer recalls giving birth: 'I worried that the nurse wouldn't let me take my baby home' . 2024-02-14 . Scroll.in . en-US.
17. Web site: 2023-01-17 . What it means to parent a child with learning difficulties . 2024-02-14 . Mintlounge . en.
18. News: Experience has no theme. 2011-10-01. The Hindu. 0971-751X. 2016-04-02.
19. News: Madras, my dear. 2011-08-29. The Hindu. 0971-751X. 2016-04-02.
20. News: Penning verse. Parthasarathy. Anusha. 2013-11-11. The Hindu. 2018-05-26. 0971-751X.
21. News: A kaleidoscope of colours. Daftuar. Swati. 2016-02-13. The Hindu. 2018-05-26. 0971-751X.
22. News: Daruwalla . Keki N. . 2019-07-27 . 'The Unmistakable Presence of Absent Humans' by K. Srilata reviewed by Keki N. Daruwalla . 2024-02-14 . The Hindu . en-IN . 0971-751X.
23. Web site: Srilata . K. . 2019-06-30 . The poetry of missing persons: K Srilata's new book of poems explores the idea of 'absent presences' . 2024-02-14 . Scroll.in . en-US.
24. Web site: Voices in verse - Livemint. livemint.com. 2016-04-02.
25. News: First Look — New English books. Daftuar. Swati. 2012-10-06. The Hindu. 2018-05-26. 0971-751X.
26. Web site: Troubling questions. The Hindu. 2003-06-01. 2018-05-26.
27. News: Raju . Anupama . 2018-03-17 . 'All the Worlds Between' review — Not such a solitary business . 2024-02-14 . The Hindu . en-IN . 0971-751X.
28. Web site: Department of Humanities and Social Sciences . www.hss.iitm.ac.in . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111122075011/http://www.hss.iitm.ac.in/srilata/ . 2011-11-22.
29. Web site: Chennai Mathematical Institute. cmi.ac.in. 2018-05-25.
30. News: First Look — New English books. The Hindu. 2012-10-06. Daftuar. Swati.
31. Web site: 2021-04-23 . On The Scent of Happiness . 2024-02-14 . Indian Cultural Forum . en-US.
32. Web site: 2021-04-18 . R Vatsala's The Scent of Happiness speaks to women navigating politics as it plays out within home, work spheres-Art-and-culture News, Firstpost . 2024-02-14 . Firstpost . en.
33. Web site: Excerpt: The Lives of Women Who Grew up in the Heady Years After India's Independence . 2024-02-14 . The Wire.
34. Web site: 2021-04-24 . The Scent of Happiness . 2024-02-14 . Indian Cultural Forum . en-US.
35. Web site: The Dance of the Peacock : An Indo/English Poetry Anthology . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180929050126/http://hiddenbrookpress.com/Book-Indo-EnglishPoetry.html . 29 September 2018 . 24 April 2017 . Hidden Brook Press (Canada).
36. Web site: Three Poems: England, 1999, A Somewhat Different Question, I Wear Wordlessness like a Tattered Dress . 2016-04-02 . The Caravan.
37. Srilata . K. . March–April 2016 . Muse India . dead . Muse India . 66 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150925120721/http://www.museindia.com/focuscontent.asp?issid=53&id=4677 . 25 September 2015 . 24 September 2015.
38. Srilata . K. . 2013-01-01 . A Brief History of Writing, and: Gravity . Prairie Schooner . 87 . 2 . 79–80 . 10.1353/psg.2013.0053 . 71995178.
39. Web site: Sonic Boom Journal | Home .
40. Web site: 16 May 2017 . Guftugu You Expert Woman, You . 2018-05-27 . Guftugu.
41. News: Srilata . K. . 30 April 2017 . Mynah Hands, Flying Fingers . 2018-05-27 . thepunchmagazine.com/.
42. Web site: Rainbow Loom Bracelet by K Srilata; Online Short Story; Out of Print Magazine; September 2015 . 2018-05-27 . outofprintmagazine.co.in.
43. Web site: Short fiction by K. Srilata . 2016-04-02 . The Madras Mag.
44. Srilata . K. . 2013-09-01 . These Things Happen If You Don't Watch It . Wasafiri . 28 . 3 . 64–68 . 10.1080/02690055.2013.802452 . 161810947.