Revered Malaysian author K.S. Maniam, best known for his novels The Return (1981) and In a Far Country (1993), died February 19. He was 78. The Star reported that Maniam (born Subramaniam Krishnan) "was revered in the local literary scene, and widely remembered as a thought-provoking writer who shaped the course of Malaysian literature. While many of his works touched on the plight of the Malaysian Indian community and working class, his themes, characters and plots were also praised for their universal appeal."
"I believe we should leave a record of ourselves and of our times in fiction. Everyone has a short story in him or her," Maniam told the Star in 2002.
His other works include the novel Between Lives (2003), short stories and poems, as well as plays The Cord (1983), The Sandpit: Womensis (1990) and The Skin Trilogy (1995), which "are regarded as important contributions to the Malaysian performing arts canon," the Star wrote.
In 2000, Maniam became the inaugural recipient of India's Raja Rao Award for outstanding contribution to the literature of the South Asian diaspora. Last year, he was honored at the K.S. Maniam's Writing: A Celebration, organized by the University of Nottingham's School of English (in Selangor) and Maya Press. The event also featured the launch of the collection K.S. Maniam Selected Works.
Malachi Edwin Vethamani, a friend and fellow writer, said, "When one thinks of Malaysian Literature in English and post-colonial literature, K.S. Maniam will be in the foreground of that literary canvas. He's among the most studied and researched Malaysian writers worldwide. His achievements received so much international recognition but none from our governmental literary institutions. He did not hanker for any. He wrote because he loved writing. His work will testify to the wonderful writer he was."