Malayalam gets a cosy space in Australian public library

Members of the small, close-knit Malayali expatriate community in Blacktown City (a council in the suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales) now enter the expansive Max Webber Public Library, spread over 5,500 square metres, with a sense of pride.

On May 22, the library, one of five main libraries under the Blacktown Town Council network, introduced a dedicated Malayalam section with 450 titles across genres. A smaller collection was also made available at the Dennis Johnson Library, which is also part of the network.

“As a second-generation immigrant, this collection acts as a bridge between my two cultures by combining storytelling and language, two things I love. As someone who strives every day to improve my Malayalam, I plan to use this collection to improve my reading skills,” says 16-year-old Anvika, originally from Kannur.

The first wave of Malayali immigrants began arriving in the city in the 1960s, and today they largely work in the IT and healthcare sectors. According to the last census, the Malayali population of the City of Blacktown was around 2,500, but it is assumed that this number has increased significantly since then. However, it remains much smaller compared to other Indian communities.

30th language

“This is exactly why the opening of a Malayalam section in the city’s largest library is so laudable. Blacktown is home to people from around 180 countries. Malayalam is now the 30th language represented in the library, alongside six Indian languages – Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu. The collection is now part of a pool of almost a lakh resources, including audiovisual content,” said project manager Emie Roy. He is from Kothamangalam in Ernakulam district. He, along with Prakash Palakkil, Johnson Philip and Satheesh Kumar, formed the four-member working group constituted by the council to organize the launch.

The inauguration was a vibrant showcase of Kerala culture, complete with Mohiniyattom performance, children’s folk songs, recitation of Murukan Kattakkada’s poems and traditional ‘chendamelam’. Popular Kerala snacks were also served to the participants. Around 130 people from the Malayali community attended the event.

“The library will preserve our language, reconnect generations and strengthen the sense of belonging among Malayalis who settle here. I also hope it will be a space where children born in Australia can explore Malayalam literature, while adults can revisit the books that shaped their childhood,” says Sandhya Ginni, 45, an IT executive from Thrissur.

The community’s constant demand for Malayalam books led the council to fund a special section. The books were sourced from the library’s regular supplier of Indian books and are displayed together without distinction of genre. With a strong community response, the council can continue to fund future choices that are in the best interests of the community.

“The library will be invaluable to Malayalis who have heard of acclaimed writers but have never had time to read,” says George Vilson, 77, a retiree from Guruvayur.

The department is also expected to help Malayali children connect with their mother tongue and culture. With more children’s books, the collection could further the activities of three Malayalam community language schools in the Sydney suburbs run by volunteers from the diaspora.