Noted poet and writer, Vijay Nambisan, who became the first all India poetry champion in 1988, died on Thursday. Nambisan co-authored Gemini, a poetry book, with Jeet Thayil and Dom Moraes. He was 54-year-old.
Nambisan was also a supporter of ethical use of language. He made an appeal to readers, writers and enthusiasts of literature in his book ‘Language as an Ethic’.
His poem ‘Madras Central’ attracted rave reviews from critics. He also won all India poetry competition organised by the poetry society of India together with the British Council for the same.
A graduate from IIT Madras, Chennai, Nambisan also translated the devotional poetry of famous poets including, Poonthanam and Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri. His wife, Kavery Nambisan is a famous writer herself. She wrote books such as ‘The Scent of Pepper’, ‘The Truth (Almost) About Bharat’ and ‘The Story That Must Not Be Told’ which went on to be nominated for Man Asian Literary Prize 2008.
Many took to Twitter to pay their condolences to the veteran writer.
Radium decays
A bit at a time;
Your poems have burned away
Line by half-lineVijay Nambisan (1963-2017), genius who never received his due
— jeet thayil (@jeetthayil) August 10, 2017
Very sorry to hear of the passing of the poet Vijay Nambisan. He was a wonderful writer, and human being, with a gentle, dry, wit.
— Ramachandra Guha (@Ram_Guha) August 10, 2017
Like his friend Dom Moraes, Vijay Nambisan was a fine prose stylist as well. His book "BIhar is in the Eye of the Beholder" is superb.
— Ramachandra Guha (@Ram_Guha) August 10, 2017
The words which smouldered, though,
Smoulder still
Where, half a lifetime ago
You wished them well'Half Life' by Vijay Nambisan pic.twitter.com/tg5sZRN4yu
— Nikhil Kumar (@niksez) August 10, 2017
