One of the best-selling mystery novels in Malayalam is “Francis Ittykora” by T D Ramakrishnan and the author himself interacted with readers at the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) which concludes today (Saturday).Speaking about his inspiration for the book the author discussed how historical or scientific references can be creatively woven into a story during a session titled “Mysteries of Francis Ittykora” yesterday (Friday).Speaking about his book’s direct language, which is sometimes unpleasant, Ramakrishnan said “Francis Ittykora” draws ideas from experiences of common men, who bear the scars from the politics, violence, calamities and disasters happening around them. “Their life is not very pleasant at all times,” he said. He cited the examples of Sri Lankan people who died during the unrest and victims of violence and ignorance.
He said: “Ittykora tries to depict a society which is attacked by the violent and intolerant modern human. The violence may not be physical; it is the hatred people carry inside for the fellow being. Any religion or philosophy that boasts of bringing peace to humanity is questioned by Ittykora, with references from various happenings around us. But these references are transformed into fictional stories.”According to the author, Indian society is in dire need of open and mutual dialogue between people from all walks of life, for a positive change in the country. He says as a writer it is our responsibility to bring to our readers realistic issues through thought-provoking stories. He cited another prominent Malayalam writer C V Sriram on this and said, “Any big idea or philosophy that can change the world always needs a story to be told about it.”He said, “I strongly think that a writer should utilise the power of the huge amount of information available online. It has helped me pinpoint a place for stories in my book; even though it was a fictitious scene I describe it. I also believe that our stories should always have references from various subjects like science and art.”
Speaking about Dr Geevarghese George Joseph, a professor of mathematics in Manchester University, he says his book was an attempt to let people know about the mathematical geniuses India produced in the past. “I like mathematics, there have been many mathematical geniuses in Kerala and their contribution should be known.”Radhakrishnan also said, “I am really happy that the book “Francis Ittykora” is discussed in international forums like SIBF. It’s the story of less important beings in our history. We should always remember that in the accepted history of the world 99 percent of the people are ignored, it only discusses achievements and hardships of a handful people from a country of millions.”He said that novels based on historical references are not a new genre it is just a way of transforming knowledge in a more narrative fashion. T D Ramakrishnan has received several awards including Basheer Award of Bhasha Institute.