Appadurai Muttulingam was born in Kokuvil, Sri Lanka. A chartered accountant by profession, he began his literary career at the age of nineteen when he won the first prize in the all-Ceylon Tamil short story competition conducted by Thinakaran, a national newspaper. He has published nine short story collections, four essay collections, two interview collections, and two novels, and has edited an anthology of book reviews. He has won many awards, including the Tamil Nadu Government first prize for the book Vamsa Viruthi; the Sri Lanka Government Sahitya Academy award for Vadakku Veethi ; the State Bank of India award, Thamilar Thakaval, Canada literary award 2006, the 2012 Ananda Vikatan India award for best short story collection for Kuthiraikaran; the 2013 S.R.M. University (India) literary award for Amerikkakari ; and the 2014 Markham City Council, Canada, Literary Award.  A selection of his short stories translated into English, Inauspicious Times, was published in 2008, and another collection in English translation, After Yesterday, is under way. He lives with his wife, Ranjini, in Markham, Canada.