Man Bahadur Singh Lahak Samman (2026) Conferred on Tamil Writer Perumal Murugan under the Joint Auspices of the Indian Languages Unity Forum (ILUF)
Perumal Murugan is a prominent Indian Tamil writer, scholar, and literary historian. His works vividly portray the lifestyle, culture, caste dynamics, social pressures, and human emotions of rural Tamil Nadu.
Perumal Murugan was born on October 15, 1966, in a small farming family near Tiruchengode in Namakkal district, Tamil Nadu. His father was a farmer who also ran a soda shop in a cinema theater. Murugan began writing at an early age. He completed his undergraduate studies in Tamil literature in Erode and his postgraduate studies in Coimbatore. He later earned both an M.Phil. and a Ph.D. from the University of Madras. His doctoral research focused on the writer R. Shanmugasundaram.
Murugan served as a professor of Tamil literature and taught at government colleges in Namakkal, Attur, and Chennai. He has conducted extensive research on the folk culture, idioms, folk tales and classical Tamil texts of the Kongu Nadu region.
Literary Career
Murugan has written 12 novels, 6 short story collections, 6 poetry collections, and numerous works of non-fiction.
Major Novels and Their English Translations
• Eru Veyyil (1991)
• Nizhal Mutram (1993)
• Koolamadari (Seasons of the Palm, 2000)
• Kanganam (2008)
• Madhorubhagan (One Part Woman, 2010)
• Poonachi (The Story of a Black Goat, 2017)
• Pookkuzhi (Pyre, 2018)
• Kazhimugam (Estuary)
Awards and Honors
• ILF Samanvay Bhasha Samman (2015)
• Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize (2016)
• Kiriyama Prize Shortlist (2005)
• National Book Award Longlist
• International Booker Prize Longlist (2023)
• JCB Prize for Literature (2023)
Controversy and Return to Writing
In 2014–15, Madhorubhagan faced protests and Murugan briefly announced his retirement from writing. In 2016, the Madras High Court upheld freedom of expression and supported his right to write, after which he resumed literary activity.
Hindi Translations by Mohan Verma
Nar-Narishwar
Ponna Ki Agnipariksha
Ponna Ka Abhishap
Chhotu Aur Uski Duniya
Ek Kapurush Ke Geet
Present Day
Perumal Murugan currently lives in Tamil Nadu and continues to write and teach. He is regarded as one of the most influential voices in contemporary Tamil literature