Kanniyakumari: Assistant Professor P Vimala has been selected for the Sahitya Akademi Prize for Translation 2024. She got the prize for her work Enatu Ankal in Tamil, which is a translation of author Nalini Jameela’s autobiography Ente Anungal in Malayalam

Vimala, is an assistant professor of Tamil in the self finance wing of
St Xavier’s College in Palayamkottai, had translated the autobiography in 2022. Her other translated works include Vivekanantham (Malayalam to Tamil), Kurunthogai and Kambaramayanam-Utha Kandam (Tamil to Malayalam).

Hailing from an ordinary background in Kulasekaram, Vimala expressed delight over the recognition, like many others of the district; I speak both Malayalam and Tamil at home. However, I developed a strong liking towards reading and writing Malayalam after going to Delhi for my higher studies.

Owing to financial troubles in the family following the death of her father, Vimala had opted for correspondence education for her BA and MA programmes. However, later, she completed her M.Phil and PhD studies as a day scholar from the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi.