Noted Tamil writer Thiagarajan, passed away on 23 March 2017 following a brief illness in Chennai. He was 85. He was popularly known as Ashokamitran. A well known novelist and essayist, Ashokamitran was noted for his subtlety and refreshing creativity in expression. Many of his works have been translated into a number of languages such as English, Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu and some European languages. He was Awarded Sahitya Akademi Award in 1996.