Meary James Thurairajah Tambimuttu
Encyclopedia
Meary James Thurairajah Tambimuttu (15 August 1915 – 23 June 1983) was a Tamil
poet
, editor and critic. He was born in Ceylon, and was a university student in Colombo
before leaving for London. He arrived in 1938, and a year later he began to publish Poetry London
, a small magazine that was to be important in the next decade, in particular during the war years. Tambi, as he was called by his friends, met Lawrence Durrell
at this time in connection with the small magazine Durrell published in Paris, Delta (developing from The Booster). He was also involved in poetry and other book publishing. He created two publishing houses, Editions Poetry London and Lyrebird Press, both of which published major works.
While in London, Editions Poetry London published Elizabeth Smart
's By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept
, Lawrence Durrell
's Cefalu, Henry Miller
's The Cosmological Eye and Sunday After the War, Vladimir Nabokov
's The Real Life of Sebastian Knight, Keith Douglas
' Alamein to Zem Zem, and Cleanth Brooks
' Modern Poetry and the Tradition. Other poets published in Poetry London are a veritable 'who's who' of late modernist poetry.
In later years he worked as an editor in the United States
, editing Poetry London - New York. He died in London
. Archives of Tambimuttu's correspondence and papers are dispersed, but the largest collections are at Northwestern University and the British Library
.
Most of Tambimuttu's own works are difficult to access, and his earliest works published before he came to London are lost. His greatest influence was as an editor and publisher, especially during the 1940s.
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, editor and critic. He was born in Ceylon, and was a university student in Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
before leaving for London. He arrived in 1938, and a year later he began to publish Poetry London
Poetry London
Poetry London is a London-based literary periodical. As Poetry London: A Bi-Monthly of Modern Verse and Criticism it was founded by Tambimuttu and the first issue was dated January/February 1939.In a new form the magazine is still in print....
, a small magazine that was to be important in the next decade, in particular during the war years. Tambi, as he was called by his friends, met Lawrence Durrell
Lawrence Durrell
Lawrence George Durrell was an expatriate British novelist, poet, dramatist, and travel writer, though he resisted affiliation with Britain and preferred to be considered cosmopolitan...
at this time in connection with the small magazine Durrell published in Paris, Delta (developing from The Booster). He was also involved in poetry and other book publishing. He created two publishing houses, Editions Poetry London and Lyrebird Press, both of which published major works.
While in London, Editions Poetry London published Elizabeth Smart
Elizabeth Smart (author)
Elizabeth Smart was a Canadian poet and novelist. Her book, By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept, detailed her romance with the poet George Barker...
's By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept
By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept
By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept is a novel of prose poetry written by the Canadian author Elizabeth Smart and published in 1945. It is widely considered to be a classic of the genre....
, Lawrence Durrell
Lawrence Durrell
Lawrence George Durrell was an expatriate British novelist, poet, dramatist, and travel writer, though he resisted affiliation with Britain and preferred to be considered cosmopolitan...
's Cefalu, Henry Miller
Henry Miller
Henry Valentine Miller was an American novelist and painter. He was known for breaking with existing literary forms and developing a new sort of 'novel' that is a mixture of novel, autobiography, social criticism, philosophical reflection, surrealist free association, and mysticism, one that is...
's The Cosmological Eye and Sunday After the War, Vladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov was a multilingual Russian novelist and short story writer. Nabokov wrote his first nine novels in Russian, then rose to international prominence as a master English prose stylist...
's The Real Life of Sebastian Knight, Keith Douglas
Keith Douglas
Keith Castellain Douglas , was an English poet noted for his war poetry during World War II and his wry memoir of the Western Desert Campaign, Alamein to Zem Zem. He was killed during the invasion of Normandy.-Poetry:...
' Alamein to Zem Zem, and Cleanth Brooks
Cleanth Brooks
Cleanth Brooks was an influential American literary critic and professor. He is best known for his contributions to New Criticism in the mid-twentieth century and for revolutionizing the teaching of poetry in American higher education...
' Modern Poetry and the Tradition. Other poets published in Poetry London are a veritable 'who's who' of late modernist poetry.
In later years he worked as an editor in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, editing Poetry London - New York. He died in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Archives of Tambimuttu's correspondence and papers are dispersed, but the largest collections are at Northwestern University and the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
.
Most of Tambimuttu's own works are difficult to access, and his earliest works published before he came to London are lost. His greatest influence was as an editor and publisher, especially during the 1940s.
Poetry
- Natarajah: A Poem for Mr. T.S. Eliot's Sixtieth Birthday (19481948 in literatureThe year 1948 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* The Pulitzer Prize for the Novel is renamed the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction....
) PL Pamphlets - Out of this War (19411941 in literatureThe year 1941 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Frank Herbert marries Flora Parkinson.*F. Scott Fitzgerald's unfinished work, The Last Tycoon, is edited and published by Edmund Wilson.-New books:...
) The Fortune Press
Editions
- T. S. Eliot: A Symposium compiled by Richard March and Tambimuttu (19481948 in literatureThe year 1948 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* The Pulitzer Prize for the Novel is renamed the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction....
) Editions P(oetry) L(ondon) - Poetry in Wartime: An Anthology (19421942 in literatureThe year 1942 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*André Gide leaves France to live in Tunis.*Robertson Davies becomes editor of the Peterborough Examiner.*Thomas Mann emigrates to California....
) Faber and Faber - India Love Poems (19771977 in literatureThe year 1977 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Douglas Adams begins writing for BBC radio.*V. S. Naipaul declines the offer of a CBE....
) Editions P(oetry) L(ondon)
External links
- Page at One Hundred Tamils
- Tamil studies Now published in the collection: T.Wignesan. Rama and Ravana at the Altar of Hanuman: On Tamils, Tamil Literature & Tamil Culture. Allahabad:Cyberwit.net, 2008, 750p. & at Chennai: Institute of Asian Studies, 2007, 439p.
- Tambimuttu Archive at Northwestern University Library
- Tambimuttu and the Poetry London Papers at the British Library: Reputation and Evidence