Celebrated Tamil writer Ashokamitran dies at 85

Known for his novels like The Eighteenth Parallel, Water, and Today, popular writer Ashokamitran died on Thursday.

Updated on: Mar 24, 2017, 09:18:07 IST

Press Trust of India, Chennai | By HT Correspondent

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Noted Tamil litterateur Ashokamitran passed away in Chennai on Thursday night after a brief illness. He was 85.

Born Thiagarajan, the writer assumed the pseudonym Ashokamitran in the 1960s.

He is survived by his wife and three sons, senior journalist and Ashokamitran’s son T Ramakrishnan told PTI.

A well known novelist and essayist, he was noted for his subtlety and refreshing creativity in expression. Born Thiagarajan, he assumed the pseudonym Ashokamitran in the 1960s.

His work Appavin Snegithargal, a collection of short stories won him the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1996. 18-vadhu Atchakkodu, translated into English as The Eighteenth Parallel, is one of his highly acclaimed novels.

Widely travelled, many of his works have been translated into English and European languages. He was given the Tiru Vi Ka Award in 2014 for his contribution to Tamil literature by late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

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