Author Award: Geethahiranyan Endowment
UNNI R
Unni R was born in Kudamalur near Kottayam, to N. Parameswaran Nair and K.A. Radhamma. His spouse is Anu Chandran, and his daughter is Saraswathi. He was educated at Kudamalur Govt. L.P. School, CMS. High School, CMS. College and Baselius College. His first collection of stories, Ozhivudivasthe Kali, received the Geethahiranyan Endowment of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi, the Anganam-E.P. Sushama Endowment and the Thomas Mundassery Award. Ozhivudivasthe Kali has been made into a film and has won the 46th Kerala State Film Award for Best Film in 2015. The story Pranilokam received the K.A. Kodungallur Kadha Puraskaram and the T.P. Kishore Smaraka Puraskaram, the story Mudrarakshasam received the V.P. Sivakumar Memorial Award and the S.B.T. Award, Abu Dhabi Shakti Award and the Ayanam-C.V. Sreeraman Kadha Puraskaram. A collection of stories titled Kalinadakam has been published in Tamil. He authored a collection of articles and translations: Pusthakapuzhu. He has written dialogues for the films Big B and Anwar and has written the films Bridge (Kerala Cafe), Kullante Bharya (Anchu Sundarikal), Munnarippu, Charlie and Leela. Munnarippu has won the Ramukariat Award for best screenplay, and Charlie has also won the State Award for best screenplay.
K N PRASANTH
K.N. Prashanth is a native of Udinur in Kasaragod district, to M.V. Narayanan and Janaki. His spouse is Divya A.K. and has a son, Ishan. His works include Aaran, Ponam and Pathiraleela. He won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi’s Geethahiranyan Award, C.V. Sreeraman Smriti Award, and Manoraj Katha Puraskar for his collection of short stories, Aaran. He has also received the Madikai Ramachandran Katha Puraskar and Dr P.K. Rajan Memorial Literary Award.
JACOB ABRAHAM
Jacob Abraham is a renowned novelist and short story writer. He was born in Vellappara, Pathanamthitta district. Jacob Abraham is currently serving as the Project Head of the Radio Malayalam initiative under the Malayalam Mission of the Kerala Government’s Department of Culture. Previously, he worked at Club FM 94.3 in Kannur. His notable works include,
‘Tattoo’, ‘Ah Muthal Am Vare Pokunna Theevandi’, ‘Vishama Vruthathil Vishudhar’, ‘Urakkam Thoongi Marangalude Nagaram’, ‘Marangalkidayil Oru Monastery’, ‘Shwasagathi’, ‘Kumari’, ‘Van Goghinde Kamuki’,’ Ente Pathanamthitta Kathakal’, ‘Plum Pazhangalude Season’, ‘Kachiya Morinte Manamulla Uchchannerangal’, and ‘Mindaamadam’.
He has earned several recognitions for his writing, including first prize in the Mathrubhumi Weekly Vishu Edition Short Story Competition, the Muttathu Varkey Campus Story Award, and the Weblokam Short Story Award. His debut short story collection, Tattoo, won the 2013 Kerala Sahitya Akademi Geetha Hiranyan Endowment Award for short stories and the Kerala Bhasha Institute Karoor Prize. He has also received the DC Books Romance Fiction Award, the Kairali Saraswathi Novel Award, and the inaugural P. Ayyaneth Memorial Award.
ABIN JOSEPH
Abin Joseph was born on October 26 in Keezhpally near Iritty in the district of Kannur. He is a notable new generation Malayalam author. Abin Joseph is a graduate of MG College in Physics. Holds a post-graduation degree in Journalism from Don Bosco Arts and Science College, Kannur and has entered the film industry after working as a sub-editor in Mathrubhumi periodicals.
Hailing from a place that witnessed migration and from an in-depth political root, his stories deal with satirical examination of the concept of revolution. It also houses topics of caste issues, migration, women’s rights, and liberation. His major works include “Kalliasseri Thesis”, “Sahayatrika”, “Prathinayakan”, “Pelayakkurish Satyam” and “Arival Chuttika Nakshatram”. He has received the Geethahiranyan Endowment of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi (2017) and the Yuva Puraskar of the Kendra Sahitya Akademi in 2020 for his collection of stories, ‘Kalyassery Thesis’. He has also won the Uroob Award, Kannur University Story Award, Rajalakshmi Story Award and the Akam Magazine Award.
AJIJESH PACHATTU
Ajijesh Pachat is a renowned author from Malappuram writing in Malayalam. He has written various novels, short stories, and memoirs. Ezhampathippinte Adyaprati, Athirazhisoothram, Kayalkandam Route, Orankutti Vangiya Arthavapoovu are the other works by Ajijesh Pachat. Kisebi, Daivakali, and Koova are his short story collections. His story, Theevrashapam (The extreme curse) was published in the magazine Chandrika. His wide array of awards includes the Anganam E.P. Sushama Endowment Award, the P.N. Panicker Story Award, the Aziz Memorial Story Award, and the Sahitya Academy Geethahiranyan Endowment, among others. His Daivakkali (God’s game), a short story collection, won the Geetha Hiranyan Endowment by Kerala Sahitya Akademi in 2017.
K R MEERA
K R Meera is a distinguished author widely regarded as one of the leading voices in contemporary Malayalam literature. The English translation of Aarachar, titled Hangwoman, was shortlisted for the prestigious DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2016. Her stories and novels have also been translated into several languages. Ave Maria, Qabar, Suryane Aninja Oru Sthree, Yudasinte Suvishesham and Bhagavante Maranam are a few of her other esteemed publications. The author of the critically acclaimed Aarachar, she is the recipient of several prestigious accolades such as the Kerala Sahitya Academy Award, the Kendra Sahitya Academy Award, the Vayalar Award, the Odakuzhal Award, the Geetha Hiranyan Award and the P Padmarajan Memorial Award, amongst others.
G. R. INDUGOPAN
G. R. Indugopan was born on April 19, 1974, in Valathungal, Eravipuram, Kollam. He was a journalist for many years and is a noted biographer. He has authored over thirty books across various branches of prose. Indugopan has received several prestigious awards including the State Television Award for Story, the Kerala Sahitya Akademi’s Geetha Hiranyan Award, the State Institute of Children’s Literature Award, the Padmarajan Award, the V. P. Sivakumar Keli Award, the Edasseri Award, and the Kumkumam Novel and Story Awards. Also has won the Ashan Prize and the Abu Dhabi Sakthi Awards for both fiction and novels. Along with the Nooranad Haneef Memorial Award.
He wrote and directed the film Ottakkayyan (The One-Armed Man), which won two Kerala State Awards in 2007, as well as the Jessy Foundation Award for Best Debut Director. He wrote the screenplay for Chithariyavar and the dialogues for Up & Down. Several of his short stories have been adapted into films, including Chennaya (Wolf), Amminippilla Vettukesu (A Southern Fight Case), and Shankhumukhi (Kaapa). His novel Kaaligandhaki was adapted into a television serial that went on to win seven State Television Awards. His work Thaskaran Maniyanpilla received the Sahitya Akademi Translation Award for its Tamil version.