Subramanian was born on 31 January 1912 in Valangaiman in Thanjavur District. His first noted published work was the novel Poithevu (1946). He also wrote poems under the pseudonym Mayan. He published many literary journals like Ilakkiya vattam, Sooravali and Chandraodayam. He became a literary critic in the 1950s, publishing reviews first in the magazines Swadesamitran and Saraswathi. He was a friend and contemporary of fellow literary critic C. S. Chellappa with whom he was involved in a long literary feud. He was considered as a right-winger and Anti-Marxist by left-leaning Tamil writers. In 1965, he moved to New Delhi and started writing articles for English-language newspapers. For the next twenty years he lived in Delhi and moved back to Chennai only in 1985. In 1986, he was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award for Tamil for his literary criticism Ilakkiyathukku oru Iyakkam (lit. A Movement for Literature). After his return to Chennai, he started writing for Tamil magazines like Kungumam, Mutharam, Dina mani Kathir and Thuglak. Pondicherry University made him an honorary professor. He died in 1988. The Government of Tamil Nadu nationalised his works in 2006.^{[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]}

• Sahitya Akademi Award for Ilakkiyathukku oru Iyakkam (Literary criticism) (1986)
• Government of Tamil Nadu award for the short story Kodhai Sirithaal
• Kumaran Asan award

Novels edit

• Sarmavin uyil
• Pasi
• Vaazhvum thaazhvum
• Sakthi vilasam
• Ezhu per
• Oru naal
• Puzhithi ther
• Maalthedi
• Nadutheru
• Gopuravaasal
• Poithevu
• Asurakanam
• Pithappoo
• Kothai Sirithall

Short story collections edit

• Manikoondu
• Adarangu
• Karugadha mottu
• Kannan En Thozhan

Literary criticism edit

• Vimarsana kalai
• Padithirukireergala
• Ulagathu sirandha novelgal
• Ilakkiya Visaaram

Translations edit

• Anbuvazhi
• Thabaal kaaran
• Madhaguru
• Nilavalam
• Vilangupannai (Animal Farm)
• Devamalar
• kaali

English books edit

• Tiruvalluvar and his Tirukkural^[9]