Sivasankari is one of the most famous names today in the Tamil literary firmament. Thirty novels, about a hundred and fifty short stories, quite a few novelettes, thirteen travelogues, innumerable articles in prominent Tamil periodicals - all this and more has made Sivasankari an icon. It is a strange fact that, to a prolific writer of such great calibre, writing happened almost accidentally.

Twenty-five years ago at a family function, an incident disturbed her profoundly and forced her to think. She put her pen to paper and poured out her thoughts on it. This was the first short story that flowed out from her pen. Since then it has been one long journey. She is now a very widely read writer in Tamil. Her writings are accepted by popular and quality Tamil periodicals like 'Ananda Vikatan'.

She writes to influence, provoke, to make her readers think and even to change them if possible. Her writing is usually born out of her personal experience and is usually based on true-life incidents. Everything she reads, hears or sees, affects her and creates awareness within her. Anything concerning a living being or anything that gives pain or happiness becomes an inspiration and a subject to write about. Some ideas lie dormant within her for many years before they come out through her creative genius.

Her writing is never spur of the moment. She believes that any creative work should be properly researched before it is put down in writing. For instance, "Oru Manithanin Kathai" which deals with alcoholism came after a lot of research and interaction with people who were affected by it. It brought out a revolutionary discovery that alcoholism is a disease like any other. Through the story she has created the awareness that any one can become addicted, not because of the lack of will power or due to bad company but because of defective genes. Also that alcoholism can be attacked and kept under control through medical and psychological treatment just like any other illness.

A fiercely independent woman, Sivasankari believes that modernisation does not mean westernisation, but being progressive in one's thinking, being proud of one's culture and tradition, and never losing touch with one's roots. However, she feels that over the years the Indian woman has been culturally and negatively conditioned, to consider herself inferior to men. To sacrifice, to burn away like the candle and lose herself in the service of the family has been the lot of the Indian woman. To a large extend this is still so. But in the century just gone by, a transition has taken place in a woman who is gradually freeing herself from the shackles. Unfortunately, this is true only of the educated, city bred woman. It has not percolated to the rural woman who still lives a life of hardships and deprivation.

Apart from noteworthy contributions in Tamil literature, Sivasankari is also doing a commendable job of compiling an anthology of short stories of writers of different Indian languages.

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