Sequel to the bestselling ‘Lock-Up’
(Translated from the Tamil into English by Raya Chellappa)
This is a one-of-a-kind account from someone who spent months in jail. It is an honest look at the judicial and prison system in the country, and gives the reader a view into how an ordinary man can get trapped in them, despite being innocent.
Chandrakumar’s debut novel, Lock-Up, a searing account of his arrest for a crime he did not commit, and the two weeks he spent in lock-up, won the Best Document of Human Rights award (2006). The film Visaranai, based on the novel, won the Best Feature Film in Tamil at the 63rd National Film Awards and premiered at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival. It was India’s official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards.
In this, the sequel, the author relates the aftermath of his refusal to admit to the crime, as the police wanted him to do. He and his friends are shifted from lock-up to jail, awaiting the next court hearing. This book captures their experiences in jail—experiences that change their perception of the system of justice forever.
About the Author: M. Chandrakumar was born in 1962 in Coimbatore. He studied up to the 10th standard and now principally identifies himself as an auto rickshaw-driver.
His debut novel Lock-Up, first published in Tamil in 2006 and in English in 2017, won the Best Document of Human Rights’ Award. The film Visaranai, based on the novel, won the Best Feature Film in Tamil at the 63rd National Film Awards and premiered at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival.
It was India’s official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards.
About the Translator: Raya Chellappa is a Tamil poet, short-story writer, essayist and translator. Sigaram Pesugirathu (2018), his biography of Dr V. Krishnamurthy, the famed CEO of BHEL, Maruti Udyog and SAIL, has been well received.
Pub date: 26 Feb 2019 | Imprint: Eka | Published by: Westland | Price: INR 399