Reflective Lecture by Dr. Meena Kandasamy [2 Jan]

"My poetry is naked, my poetry is in tears, my poetry screams in anger, my poetry writhes in pain." One of India's most fearless writers reflects on womanness, Tamilness, and the politics of language.

Speaker

Dr. Meena Kandasamy

Venue

Pavilion, Bastion Bungalow, Fort Kochi

Timings

2nd January 2026 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

About the Speaker

A series opening and reflective lecture showcasing artistic expressions rooted in conflict, displacement, and resistance.

Dr. Meena Kandasamy is an Indian poet, novelist, translator, and activist whose work centres on caste annihilation, feminism, and linguistic identity. Born in 1984 to Tamil parents in Chennai, she regards her writing as a process of coming to terms with her identity—her "womanness, Tamilness and low/outcasteness," labels she wears with pride.

Her poetry collections include Touch (2006) and Ms. Militancy (2010), while her novels The Gypsy Goddess (2014)—about the 1968 Kilvenmani massacre of Dalit labourers—and When I Hit You (2017)—shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction—have earned international acclaim. She has translated works by Periyar E.V. Ramasamy, Thol. Thirumavalavan, and Tamil Eelam poets, and in 2023 released Thirukkural: The Book of Desire, a feminist translation. Associated with the Dalit Panthers of India, Kandasamy believes political poetry has the "pressing responsibility to ensure that language is not at the mercy of the oppressors."