The Vijay Nambisan Trust was formed in 2018 following the untimely demise of the poet, essayist and literary critic whose work is lauded for its inimitable blend of clarity, lightness, gravitas and satire. Vijay Nambisan is that rare artist whose work mirrored his belief in the absolute need for clear and honest communication. His poetry, essays and non-fiction books spell this out in every word and thought. He stubbornly followed the beckoning of his creative genius, without resorting to the advertising of his talents.
Born on the 2nd of December 1963, Vijay schooled at the Jawaharlal Nehru Higher Secondary School in Neyveli, Tamil Nadu and spent four years studying mechanical engineering at IIT Madras. He knew very well that he wasn’t cut out for engineering, so he stopped attending classes, stayed in his room and wrote poetry. He dropped out of college in the fourth year and a few years later, won the first All India Poetry Competition organised by the British Council for his timeless classic, Madras Central. He worked in Delhi, Bombay and Madras for various media houses including City Scan, Debonair, The Observer and The Hindu. He considered himself fortunate to be mentored by the poets Dom Moraes and Adil Jussawalla in Bombay and the editor Probir Das Gupta in Delhi as also his many senior colleagues including Nirmala Lakshman at The Hindu. His publications include Gemini , his first collection of poetry along with poet Jeet Thayil, Bihar is in the Eye of the Beholder( Viking Penguin) , Language as an Ethic(Penguin), Two Measures of Bhakti (Penguin Classic), First Infinities (Poetrywallah) and These were My Homes (Speaking Tiger).
Vijay Nambisan was a passionate advocate of the humanities. His essays and non-fiction work cover a wide range of subjects ranging from art and literature to politics and current affairs. As for his poetry, he is considered one of the best in his generation. His works are an eloquent testimony to the purity of every creative effort which in turn makes us more sensitive to the nurturing a just and fair society.
He believed in the pursuit of the essential goodness which is available to all of us. The Trust was formed in order to further this essence through the Humanities, by addressing issues which are of value to the individual spirit, and to society.
The Trust will promote and support the cause of Humanities in our lives through art, literature and related subjects.
Activities of the Trust.
The Vijay Nambisan Trust sponsors the following:
An annual lecture on a topic of value to the public and related to the Humanities held at the Bangalore International Centre in the month of October.
An annual lecture organised with Manthan at Hyderabad, of relevance to the public and related to the Humanities held in the month of February.
A two-week poetry fellowship for a promising/or established poet at Sangam House, Bangalore.
The Trustees:
Pavan Kumar Nair
Govind Krishna
Shanti Subbaraman
Anjum Hassan
Kavery Nambisan
Advisors:
Dr Sukumar Vasudevan
Anjali Nambisan
Hema Balachandran
Dilip Panicker
Kavil Ramachandran
Sobha/Asha Nambisan
For Donations:
Donations are gratefully accepted, in Indian currency only and by an Indian citizen.
Account details for donations.
Ac holder: The Vijay Nambisan Trust
HDFC Bank, Gonicoppal Branch, Kodagu district, Karnataka.
Ac. no.50200045875107
IFSC HDFC0002990
Please intimate us at kavery.nambisan@gmail.com when you make a contribution.