It's not unfamiliar to me to have overlooked or forgotten some details in my reflections. Recently, I wondered if I had mentioned the renowned author R.K. Narayan in my posts about books. Despite admiring several Tamil writers whose works I had read and respected, I don't recall mentioning Narayanji. This post is dedicated to him and my sincere regret for not highlighting his contributions earlier.

I first encountered R.K. Narayan’s books in the late 1960s, and his work left a lasting impression on me. "The Dateless Diary" was the last of his books I read from that period. At a time when I couldn’t afford to buy books and was either renting or borrowing them, I remember spending money on his books because I valued them so much. Regrettably, I no longer have my collection as I gave them away to friends.

Narayanji's writing is characterized by its simplicity, engrossing narratives, and subtle humor. He is truly an all-time great in literature. When I realized that his books were missing from my earlier posts, I searched for audio formats but found none available. This was disappointing, and I discovered there are some of his books I haven't read. I’m now considering purchasing Kindle versions and listening to them with the help of Alexa. While this isn’t the same as having audiobooks, it’s a viable alternative.

I also wondered if there’s a way to approach those who hold the rights to his works about publishing audio formats. I will definitely explore this option.

In the Tamil literary scene, my earliest memories of reading stories and serials date back to when I first moved to Chennai. From the late 1960s, I read almost all the short stories and serial stories in magazines like Ananda Vikatan and Kumudham. Authors like Ra. Ki Rangarajan, Ja.Ra. Sundaresan, Balasubramaniam, and SAP wrote engaging stories. I eagerly awaited each new issue.

I recall the delightful stories of Bahgyam Ramaswamy, like "Appusamy and Seeth Paatti," and the thought-provoking works of Jayakanthan, one of my favorite authors. Sujatha's creativity, both in storytelling and presentation, is memorable, with "Nylon Kayiru" standing out. I’ve also enjoyed the novels and stories of Lakshmi, Anuradha Ramanan, Sivasankari, and Pushpa Thangadurai.

I regret not reading Kalaki's books, though I have read Chandilyan’s. Fortunately, "Ponniyin Selvan" was available in audio format, which I downloaded from Audible.

I’m sure there are many other names I haven’t recalled, and for that, I apologize. It’s time to look into Tamil audiobooks now.

Continued in 137. Sung And Unsung - Part 1