Salma
Salma, a poet, novelist, and activist who goes by the pen name of Rajathi, is a significant voice in contemporary Tamil literature. Her renowned novel Irandam Jaamangalin Kathai (2004, The Long Hours of the Night) was longlisted for the Man Asia Prize in 2009. Her writing challenges deeply entrenched social and patriarchal norms, particularly within the Tamil Muslim community of her origin. Her poetry collections, Oru Maalaiyum Innoru Maalaiyum (2000) and Pachchai Devathai (2003), are celebrated for their incisive exploration of female experience. Her poetry and fiction have been translated into multiple languages. She was recently nominated to the Rajya Sabha.
