Life Convict C. Selvam Wins Tamil Literary Garden's Iyal Award for Memoir

A memoir penned by life convict C. Selvam has been selected for the Iyal Award for non-fiction by the Canada-based Tamil Literary Garden. Titled Oru Thooku Kaithiyin Vaakumoolam (Testimony of a Death Warrant Prisoner), the book marks a rare occasion where the literary honour has been conferred on an author who has spent 32 years in prison.

Selvam, a native of Thenthamaraikulam in Kanniyakumari district, is currently lodged in the Vellore prison and is presently out on parole. Reacting to the recognition, Selvam said he considered it an honour for his habit of reading, which sustained him throughout his decades of incarceration after having left school after Class 9.

Selvam and his associates surrendered before a court in Nagercoil in 1994 in connection with a murder case. Although Selvam and two others, Radhakrishnan and Shiekmeeran, were initially sentenced to death, their punishment was later commuted to life imprisonment by the President on the condition that they remain in prison for the remainder of their lives.

While serving his sentence, Selvam became a voracious reader of contemporary Tamil literature, counting authors such as Sundara Ramasamy, S. Ramakrishnan, Nanjil Nadan, and Jayamohan among his favourites. His extensive reading eventually culminated in his memoir, which was released in December 2025 by Kizhakku Pathippagam.

The publication came about after publisher Badri Seshadri met Selvam during a chance encounter at the Tiruchi jail. Former Madras High Court judge Justice K. Chandru wrote the foreword to the book, noting that he chose to contribute because Selvam had truthfully recorded life behind bars while advocating for prison reforms.

According to an announcement by Tamil Literary Garden President V. Venkataramanan, the non-fiction award carries a cash prize of C$1,000 and is shared with Sankar Saravanan. The organisers have asked Selvam to depute a representative to collect the award at a ceremony scheduled for October 18.