SEASONS OF THE PALM (Koolamaathari)
Seasons of the Palm tells the story of Shortie and his friends –Tallfellow, Stumpleg, Belly and Matchbox – all of them ‘untouchable’ chakkili children who herd goats for their Gounder caste landlords.
A sophisticated mixture of naturalism and fantasy, this is a novel whose politics comes alive through its art. Shortlisted for the Kiriyama Award (2005 fiction finalist).
This English translation of a contemporary Tamil classic captures a world that is virtually unknown outside the Tamil village. The complex world of dalit ‘untouchables’, who struggle to hold their own in a context of brutal injustice of the caste system.
Seasons of the Palm tells the story of Shortie and his friends –Tallfellow, Stumpleg, Belly and Matchbox – all of them ‘untouchable’ chakkili children who herd goats for their Gounder caste landlords.
A sophisticated mixture of naturalism and fantasy, this is a novel whose politics comes alive through its art. Shortlisted for the Kiriyama Award (2005 fiction finalist).
