First published 2023
Meena Kandasamy brings her feminist perspective to the Kāmattu-p-pāl, a 2000-year-old Tamil text about female love and desire. This collection forms the third section of the Thirukkural, written by poet Thiruvalluvar and considered among Tamil literature's most significant works. Kandasamy tackles the text's most intimate portion, which has faced heavy censorship throughout history. While hundreds of male scholars have translated these verses, only one woman has attempted this work before. Kandasamy organizes 250 kurals under headings like "The Pleasure of Sex," "Renouncing Shame," and "The Delights of Sulking." Her translation captures messages about female sensuality and agency that male interpreters have long overlooked or suppressed.
Genres: literary-fiction, gender-studies, feminism, 21st-century, academic
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: reclaimed-perspectives, suppressed-narratives
Setting: Tamil
Period: 2000-year-old
207 pages · Paperback · Galley Beggar Press