Literature is more powerful than history: Su. Venkatesan

Sahitya Akademi award winning writer and Member of Parliament Su. Venkatesan on Friday at the Hindu office. | Photo credit: Thamodharan B

Literature is more powerful than simply writing history directly. Sahitya Akademi award winning writer and Member of Parliament Su. Venkatesan said that literature created using history as a tool leaves a huge impact.

On Friday at the Hindu office of Su. Venkatesan said that he tells the stories of contemporary people against a historical backdrop. “History is a tool. What happened yesterday is happening today. So what’s the difference if we’re talking about a story 2,000 years old or a story today?” he asked.

His Sahitya Akademi award-winning debut novel Kaval Kottam is an epic work based on the history of Madurai. He explained that there was a specific reason why he chose to write the book as a novel rather than a historical work. “Literature is more powerful than a history book. A few data are enough for history. But what literature creates using history as a tool has an immense impact. Despite the numerous history books on India-Pakistani partition, the impact and pain created by a single story of Manto is immense. That is the power of literature,” he said.

Regarding his second novel, Veerayuga Nayagan Velpari, he mentioned that he expressed whatever knowledge he had about the Sangam era in various ways throughout the work. “It is only when we depict this entire field of knowledge – from astronomy to maritime wisdom and flora – that the world I depict will reach completion. I created Velpari as a painting drawn using each of these elements,” he stated.

When asked to what extent historical writers must adhere to actual events in their works, Venkatesan explained that established historical truths cannot be completely changed. “If you completely change history, the work doesn’t last. So our artistic freedom is only in how we re-enact the events that happened in history. A battle can be staged as a small affair or it can be staged on a grand scale. That’s what I did,” he said.

When asked what he believed to be a better tool for social change—being a writer or a public representative—he replied, “The impact that literature creates and its longevity is monumental. The relief provided as an elected representative addresses immediate needs. The purpose of literature is completely different, you cannot compare the two.”

Emphasizing that historical narratives need to be constantly retrieved and recreated, Su. Venkatesan stated that such a history must be told by internalizing the narrative of our own time. “Velpari should not remain only Kapilar’s story or the story of Kapilar’s era. It must also be transformed into the story of our times. This is what restoring our heritage means. This is a key political arena. I see it as a form of politics conducted right in the arena of cultural adversaries,” Su. Venkatesan concluded.

Published – 29 Aug 2026 01:54 IST