Speaker

Venkatachalapathy’s has taught at Manonmaniam Sundaranar University in Tirunelveli, the University of Madras, and the University of Chicago and has been a research scholar in academic centres such as Paris, Cambridge, London, and Harvard. In recognition of his scholarly excellence, he was appointed as the ICCR Chair in Indian Studies at the National University of Singapore for the academic year 2011–2012.

His remarkable contributions to historical research were acknowledged with the V.K.R.V. Rao Prize in History in 2007. Notably, he has also received the Vilakku Pudumaippithan Award in 2018 and the Iyal Virudhu in 2021, both recognizing his lifetime dedication to Tamil scholarship.

Venkatachalapathy’s research focus encompasses the social, cultural, and intellectual history of colonial Tamil Nadu. Among his notable English publications are “Tamil Characters: Personalities, Politics, Culture,” “Who Owns That Song?: The Battle for Subramania Bharati’s Copyright,” and “The Province of the Book: Scholars, Scribes, and Scribblers in Colonial Tamil Nadu.” Additionally, he has edited works like “Chennai, Not Madras” and “Love Stands Alone: Selections from Tamil Sangam Poetry” among others.

Currently, he is working on the biographies of two prominent figures, Periyar and V.O. Chidambaram Pillai.