Songs of a Coward: Poems of Exile

The poems move between anger, tenderness, darkness and hope, using vivid imagery to reflect personal turmoil and the experience of feeling displaced.

Perumal Murugan is an acclaimed Tamil writer, poet and scholar whose works explore caste, community, desire, rural life and human relationships. Aniruddhan Vasudevan is an award-winning translator and writer.

Songs of a Coward presents poems written during a difficult period in Murugan’s life. The collection explores exile, oppression, fear, loss and inner strength, ultimately showing how poetry and imagination can provide freedom during moments of darkness.