Biographical statement
Navam, a well known writer, critic, dramatist, actor and a translator, holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a master’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. He started writing short stories in the 60’s and has won many awards and recognitions for them, including a medal from Sri Lankan Sahitya Academy in 1964. His short stories, articles and plays have been published in many prominent Tamil dailies, Canadian periodicals, and web based magazines. His collections of short stories ‘Ullum Puramum’ has the distinction of being the first Tamil story collection published in Canada. It also won the Gold model at the all Ceylon Creative Writing Contest held by the Government of Sri Lanka in 1984. ‘Unmaikalin Mauna Oorvalangal, is another collection of his articles on International politics, published in Canada (1991). He has done pioneering work as a playwright and director. His play ‘Iniyoru Vithi Seivom’ is widely considered to be the first attempt at serious modern Tamil Theatre in Canada. Navam is also a publisher whose publishing house ‘Nankaavathu Parimaanam’ has published 14 collections of poems, short stories and essays, among other works. As the editor and publisher of ‘Nankaavathu Parimaanam,’ a Canadian Tamil literary magazine published in the early 90’s, Navam is presently focusing on serious researches on literary magazines of diasporic Sri Lankan Tamils.
