Author of the book Kalpana Karunakaran, and writers V. Geetha and Nivedita Louis during the book launch on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: AKHILA EASWARAN
The book, A Woman Of No Consequence, written by Kalpana Karunakaran — Associate professor, Humanities and Social Sciences Department, IIT-Madras, and daughter of Communist leader Mythily Sivaraman — was released here on Saturday. It follows the life of her maternal grandmother Pankajam (1911-2007).
Ms. Kalpana, who began speaking by invoking her mother, said she chanced upon her grandmother’s autobiographical notes during her research aimed at writing a book on Ms. Sivaraman. She had described herself as a woman of no consequence. Though not formally schooled, her grandmother was a voracious reader.
N. Ram, Director, The Hindu Group Publishing Private Limited, praised Ms. Kalpana for both her intimate and anthropological approach to a book.
Writer, translator, and feminist historian V. Geetha, said for Pankajam, reading was a way of being, of existing. Her writing career that began at 38 continued till she was 90.
Writer and researcher Nivedita Louis appreciated the way Pankajam wrote autofiction.
Published – November 01, 2025 11:48 pm IST
