Era Natarasan

Era Natarasan இரா நடராசன்
Born	(1964-12-08)8 December 1964. Lalgudi, Trichy District, Tamil Nadu, South India.(now living in Cuddalore District, Tamil Nadu, India).
Nationality	Indian
Alma mater	Jamal Mohamed College, Tiruchirappalli(1982-85)., Annamalai University(1990-92), Alagappa University(2004).,
Occupation	Children's writer, Educationist, Principal (Head master).
Awards	Sahitya Akademi Award 2014, Dr. Radhakrishnan Award 2008 (Government of Tamil Nadu), Tamil valartchi thurai virudhu 2015,2001.(Government of Tamil Nadu)
Website	eranatarasan.com
Signature

Era Natarasan (Tamil: இரா நடராசன்; born December 8, 1964), popularly known as Ayesha Natarasan, is an Indian writer of children's books.^[1] He writes in Tamil and English. He is most famous as the author of Ayisha(in English)/ Ayesha(a Novella) that has sold millions of Copies in 12 languages.^[2][3][4][5] He has written more than 80 books most of them on science and Science Fiction including Vigyana vikramadhithyan kadhaigal which won the "Bal Sahitya Puraskar Award" awarded by Sahitya Academy, India's highest award for Children Literature.^[6][7][8]

Life and career

He is the Principal (Head master) of the Krishnasamy Memorial Matric Higher Secondary School, in the coastal town of Cuddalore near Puducherry, India.^[9]

Literary career

Era Natarasan started his writing career as a poet in the Tamil weekly Ananda Vikatan in 1982 latter got interested to write short- stories Science and Science fiction for children so for he has written 83 books (72 in Tamil and 11 in English).^[10] The Vigyana Vikramadhithyan Kadhaikal(2009) has in itself the history of the medical inventions such as, polio vaccine, insulin, and malaria vaccine, which received the Bala Sahitya Puraskar the Annual Sahitya Academy Award for children literature in 2014.^[7]

His recent work for teachers Idhu yarudaya vagupparai (Whose Classroom Is It?)^[11] the best seller has received the Tamil Valarchithurai Virudhu in 2015, the award he has already received in 2001 for his book on Mathematics Kanidhathin kadhai.^[12] Natarasan has brought a series (10 books) in English under the title Scientific Revolution on ten great names of science that signify the great leap forward which include Galileo Galilei,^[13] Gregor Mendel,^[14] Marie Curie,^[15] and Albert Einstein.^[16] He is the writer and editor of The Puthagam Pesudhu – a Tamil monthly for books.^[17]

Short films

Natarasan's four stories have been made into short films.

1. Ayesha -was adopted into a 28 minutes short film by B.sivakumar Released in year of 2000, short film Ayesha won the National Film Award - Best short film of the year (National Film Festival, New Delhi)^[18]
2. Madhi -Another short story (Which was published by India Today(t)) magazine about the pathetic every day life of the third gender was filmed into a short film by cinematographer - Editor B. Lenin.
3. Rathathin Vannathil (the color of Blood) story which received the Ilakkiya chindhanai Award, was made into a feature film in the title Chellamma by Director Pa.sivakumar.
4. Vattathin Pakkangal(the sides of cirle) was filmed as a feature film again by Director Pa.sivakumar.
5. Ayesha Natarasan also appears in a supporting role in Director Thangar Bachan's famous film Ammavin Kaipesi.^[19]

Era Natarasan receiving the Bala Sahidya Puraskar Award from Sahitya Akademi in November 2014.

Educational activism

As an educational scholar and psychologist he is an activist supporting alternative education.^{[20][21][22][23]} He has translated Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed, a book on education in to Tamil. He served as a master resource Person on Right to Education Act for UNICEF Sponsored workshops in Tamil Nadu. He played a major role as the member secretory in the Vasanthi Devi Committee on Alternate Education Policy (citizen's charter - against PM Modi's New Education Policy).^[24] Ayesha Natarasan was in the Text Book committee formed by the Govt of Tamil Nadu on the eve of the common syllabus formation. As an education activist Natarasan has periodically participated in many education debates on television as a key speaker, including Star Vijay(Neeya Naana),^[25] Sun TV (India) (virundhinar pakkam)^[26] etc., His articles and interviews on education have appeared in many leading magazines/Dailies such as The Hindu,^[1] Ananda Vikatan,^[10] The Times of India(city)^[27] Kungumam Vazhikatti, Minnambalam ^{[28][29] [20][21][30][31][32]} etc., Era.Natarasan is also an active participant,^[33] Resource Person cum trainer in book festivals children content seminars^[34] and literary meets.^[23]

Other awards and honours

Notable works

References

External links

• Official website