Tamil Author Imayam: Books Teach You To Be More Kind

Every morning, acclaimed Tamil author Imayam wakes up and asks himself a simple question: who can I help today? The answer determines whether he'll sleep peacefully that night.

Just this week, the novelist behind celebrated works like "Koveru Kazhudhaigal" helped coordinate an organ transplant at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. When someone at Kalaignar Centenary Library complained of blood pressure problems, he admitted them for treatment. He's also helping a wood-carving artist secure state recognition and recently mediated a neighborhood dispute that had escalated to the police station.

For Imayam, this isn't charity work separate from his writing life. It's the direct result of what books have taught him.

"Literature always teaches me to be more affectionate and kind," he explains. "Every book tells me, 'This isn't enough; love more and be more kind.'"

The author defines living well as existing without bothering others, without coveting what isn't yours, and ideally without needing hospitals, prisons, courtrooms or police stations. His daily practice turns that philosophy into action through small acts of service.

Sunny's Take

What makes Imayam's approach special is how he connects reading to living. He doesn't see literature as escapism but as training for compassion. "Books teach one not to bear any resentment or hostility, and that life is short and wonderful," he says. "You can achieve certain things out of love, but hatred achieves nothing more than hatred."

He can't help everyone in every way, he admits. But what little he can do, he does.

These days, Imayam is reading international authors, fascinated by how they paint landscapes in their writing. He's listening to Hindi devotional songs despite not believing in God. He's studying translations and breathing in stories from around the world, all while staying rooted in his Tamil community.

His belief remains simple: you don't choose art, art chooses you. And once it does, it shapes how you move through the world.