A linked index for an oral Tamil folk epic: a case study

Abstract

Some projects have a life of their own, and in this case study Ronnie Seagren presents the experience of a straightforward book indexing project that grew into its own saga, including editing and work with a hybrid publisher. She was asked to index an important medieval Tamil epic story that was both obscure and out of print. This republishing journey took two and a half years. The index had to meet the needs of several very different audiences: Tamil scholars, students comparing epic stories, and a general public just wanting to learn something about South Asian folk culture. Indexing a work of fiction poses specific indexing dilemmas. Working with a small hybrid publisher, where the author bore all of the costs of publishing, posed many more. The project was very specific, but it has implications for indexing both fiction and self-published books.