Kannan Sundaram honoured with Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite

The French government has recently conferred the Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite, the Knight of the Order of the Merit, on Kannan Sundaram, Publisher of Kalachuvadu, for his contribution to the publishing collaboration between India and France. Here, Kannan shares more about this honour.

AABP: Congratulations on winning the Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite, the Knight of the Order of the Merit. What does this award mean to you?

Kannan: As far as I know there is no award given to a publisher in India. Publishing Next award is given to a publishing house and Kalachuvadu has won it twice. Chevalier is not an award for publishers but given to one in any field for excellence. Until I received it – it hit me like a bolt out of the blue – I was not aware that by then three other publishers had received it in India. This is the first time I am receiving an award for my work as a publisher. It is also an international award. So I am honoured and thrilled.

AABP: Share your experience of working with French publishers/authors?

Kannan: I walked into the French stand as I was walking the fair on my first visit to Frankfurt Book Fair in 2007. As I was browsing from stand to stand there, I came across a translation of Vaikom Mohammed Basheer in Publishers Zulma’s stand. That gave me hope so I picked up their contacts and explored more. Thus began my first encounter with the French Publishers. I have since met more French publishers in Frankfurt, Paris, New Delhi than any other language publishers. Kalachuvadu has bought rights for a couple of dozen works. We have sold some to French Publishers. I have always found French publishers to be informed, professional and flexible in negotiations. I have developed very strong relationships with French colleagues over the years, some of whom I count as friends. It is an industry that promotes diversity in publishing and so I am at ease working with them.

AABP: How popular is Tamil literature in France and vice versa?

Kannan: I cannot claim Tamil literature is popular in any other language. French readers are open to translations. Many Indian English writers and now increasingly some Indian language writers have been published in France. I think it’s a bit early to draw a conclusion on the popularity of our writing in France.

AABP: Also congratulations on 30th anniversary of Kalachuvadu Publications. How has the journey been?

Kannan: It has been a learning experience. I had no clue as to what was in store for me as I began my journey. But I gave myself fully to whatever came my way. We decided to publish high quality literary fiction and nonfiction without including popular writings. We have survived, grown and have succeeded in marketing our books as widely as possible.

I have travelled so much, read so much, met so many people of many nationalities, races and languages. To understand the salient aspects of different book markets is an enriching experience.

We are thrilled to publish some of the greatest writers of Tamil as well the most promising new writers. To translate the very best from world languages and publish them. To take the best of Tamil writings to the world and see them published in many languages. We see Kalachuvadu as an international publishing house that publishes in Tamil and has an office in Nagercoil. We are proud to have created a brand that is now recognised internationally.

AABP: What more would you like to accomplish through your publishing house?

Kannan: Publishing has been a journey that has led me to new and unanticipated destinations. And that has kept it interesting and exciting. In the coming days, over and above the ‘muchness of the sameness’ in everyday work, I hope we traverse new paths, make new discoveries and that we remain open to new challenges.

AABP: What can the readers expect more from your publishing house?

Kannan: We are working on our very first original graphics book now. Vaadivasal by Si Su Chellappa first published in 1959 in an enduring classic in Tamil. It is the only modern fiction about the traditional Tamil bullfighting, Jallikattu. The unique aspect of this bullfighting is that the fighter cannot harm or kill the bull. Now we plan to publish it as a graphics novel. It will be an expression of an essence of Tamil tradition. But as a struggle between man and animal, its appeal is universal. We have teamed with Perumal Murugan (script) and Appupen (Graphics) to produce it. Perumal Murugan loves the challenge of working in newer formats. Appupen’s craft and aesthetics has an international appeal. We are presently charting a plan to assist the travel of this work across languages and cultures.