Life Convict C. Selvam Wins Canada's Iyal Award for Memoir
· India · The Hindu, Indian Express
Life convict C. Selvam has been awarded the Iyal Award for non-fiction by the Canada-based Tamil Literary Garden for his memoir, Oru Thooku Kaithiyin Vaakumoolam. The book serves as a testimony of a death warrant prisoner and provides a detailed account of life inside prison, where Selvam has spent 32 years. Originally sentenced to death for a 1994 murder in Tamil Nadu, his sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment by the President. The memoir, which advocates for prison reform, was released in December 2025 with a foreword written by Justice K. Chandru.
Why it matters
The recognition of Selvam's work highlights the literary potential of incarcerated individuals and brings renewed attention to the need for prison reforms in India.
Read the original report — The Hindu
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