A Book on Suicide

The book titled Athmahatya Jeevitham Kondu Murivettavante Vakku was released on 26th July 2004 by noted writer and critic Prof M.N Vijayan at a function held at Mahakavi G Auditorium in Ernakulam. Veteran journalist K.M Roy presided over the function. Kavitha Balakrishnan, painter and critic introduced the book. Poets Viji Thampi and Prabha Verma delivered felicitation speeches. I welcomed the gathering and my co-author M A Shanavas proposed the vote of thanks. One of the reasons we wrote the book was to bring before the eyes of Keralites the fact that creative people are more vulnerable to depression and suicide. Looked at from the international perspective, suicide rates in Kerala are higher than in many other parts of the world. Being a state in distress, Kerala is struggling with the ethical questions surrounding the subject.The book is an attempt to bring together life sketches of noted literary figures, painters and artistes who took their lives. Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath, Vincent Vangogh, Hemingway, Mishima, Kawabata, Mayakovsky, Hitler, Edappally Raghavan Pillai, T Guhan, Rajalakshmi, Nandanar, Krishnakumar, Shelvy, Nandita, SubrahmanyaDas, Sanildas, T P Kishor, Silk Smitha ...etc.It also provides a background survey of literary, philosophical, psychological, and sociological responses to suicide as a phenomenon. Here you can read the translated and abridged version of the article The Myth of Sysiphus by Albert Camus.More research is needed to examine the link between creativity and suicide. I think this book will be helpful for further research in this field.

Compiled and Edited by N P Sajeesh & M.A Shanavas

Foreword by Maythil Radhakrishnan

Pages: 290

Price :Rs. 200

Pranatha Books

Kochi

Kerala 682 018

Phone: 0484-2390179 Mobile: 9447194038