Sahitya Akademi Award Archives | Page 3 of 5

M. Sukumaran

M. Sukumaran (1943–2018) was born in 1943 in Chittur, Palakkad. His father was Narayana Mannadiar and his mother was Meenakshiamma. In 1963, he began working as a clerk at the Accountant General’s Office in Thiruvananthapuram, but was dismissed from service in 1974 due to his involvement in trade union activities. He authored several acclaimed works including Paara, Azhimukham, Shuddhavayu, Thookkumarangal Njangalkku, Charithragatha, Vanchikkunnampathi, and Pithrutharppanam. He received Kerala Sahitya Akademi Awards for Marichittillathavaruṭe Smārakangal in 1976, Janithakam in 1997, and for his overall contributions in 2004. Pithrutharppanam won the Padmarajan Memorial Award for Best Short Story in 1992 and the U.P. Jayaraj Memorial Award in 2004. He also received the Muttathu Varkey and C.V. Kunhuraman Foundation Awards for lifetime achievement in 2008 and 2016, respectively. Sukumaran won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Story for Sheshakriya in 1981 and Kazhakam in 1995. His story Pithrutharppanam was adapted into the film Margam, which won the Kerala State Award for Best Feature Film in 2003. In 2006, he was honored with the Central Sahitya Akademi Award for his novella collection Chuvanna Chihnangal. He passed away on March 16, 2018.

M P NARAYANAPILLAI

M. P. Narayana Pillai (1939–1998) was born on November 22, 1939, in Perumbavoor. His wife was Prabhapillai. He held a degree in Agricultural Science and served in various roles, including journalist, telephone operator, and Planning Commission official. He worked extensively in journalism, holding positions such as Chief of Publications for the Commerce Group in Mumbai, Indian correspondent for McGraw-Hill World News, associate editor of Far Eastern Economic Review, editor of Trial, and editor of Minerals and Metals Review. He authored sixteen works spanning short stories, novels, and essays. His novel Parinama received the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 1991. He passed away in Mumbai on May 19, 1998.

Lalithambika Antharjanam

Lalithambika Antharjanam (1909–1987) was born on March 30, 1909, at Kottavattam near Kottarakkara in Kollam district. Her father, K. Damodaran Potti of Kottavattam Illam, was a member of the Sreemoolam Praja Sabha, and her mother was Nangayya Antharjanam. She received her education in Sanskrit and Malayalam from tutors at home and also gained proficiency in English and Hindi. Her first short story, Yathravasaam, was published in Malayalarajyam. In 1927, she married Narayanan Namboothiri of Amanakara Illam in Ramapuram, Meenachil Taluk, and had seven children, including the well-known writer N. Mohanan. Lalithambika was actively involved in early reform movements within the Namboothiri community in the erstwhile Travancore region. She received the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 1973 for her work Seetha Muthal Sathyavathi Vare. Her only novel, Agnisakshi, won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 1977, as well as the Central Sahitya Akademi Award, the Odakkuzhal Award, and the first Vayalar Award. She passed away on February 6, 1987.

O. N. V. KURUP

O. N. V. Kurup (1931–2016) was born on May 27, 1931, in Chavara, Kollam district. He served as a teacher for 25 years at University College, Thiruvananthapuram, and for five more years in other government colleges. A renowned poet and lyricist, his major works include Mayilpeeli, Agnishalabhangal, Aksharam, Uppu, Bhoomikku Oru Charamageetham, Mrigaya, Ujjayini, Swayamvaram, Aparahnam, Veruthe, Kshanikam–Paksha, Snehichutheeraathavar, Ee Purathana Kinnaram, and Dinantham. He received both the Kerala and Central Sahitya Akademi Awards, the Vayalar Award, the Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad Award (Kolkata), the Soviet Land Nehru Award, and the Khurram Joshi National Poetry Award (Hyderabad). O.N.V. wrote lyrics for over 200 films and numerous plays, winning the Kerala State Film Award for Best Lyricist 13 times and the National Award in 1989 for the film Vaishali. He was honored with the Padma Shri in 1998 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2011. In 1999, he was awarded the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, and in 1987, he represented Indian poetry at the Struga International Poetry Festival in Macedonia. The University of Kerala conferred upon him an honorary D.Litt. He received the prestigious Jnanpith Award in 2007. O. N. V. Kurup passed away on February 13, 2016.

P KESAVADEV

P. Kesavadev (1905–1983) was born in August 1905, originally named Kesava Pillai. Drawn to the ideas of Pandit Kshiram, he joined the Arya Samaj and adopted the name Kesavadev. He later became active in the rationalist movement and entered politics, leading several labor movements. He served as editor of periodicals such as Swadeshabhimani, Rajabhartham, Pratidinam, and Mahatma. In the 1930s, he emerged as a pioneer in Malayalam short story literature. His first novel was Odayilninnu, and over his career, he published around eighty works. His novel Ayalkkar won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 1964 and the Soviet Land Nehru Award in 1970. He also served as the president of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi and the Sahitya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society. For a period, he worked as a producer at All India Radio. He was also awarded the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Fellowship. He passed away on July 1, 1983.

KAKKANADAN G V

Kakkanadan (1935–2011), whose full name was George Varghese Kakkanadan, was born on April 23, 1935. He earned a B.Sc. degree in 1955 and, after working as a school teacher for two years, joined the Southern Railway in 1957 and later served in the Railway Ministry from 1961 to 1969. A prominent figure in Malayalam literature, he received the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Awards for Ashwathhamavinte Chiri (1980) and Orotha (1984), the Muttathu Varkey Award in 1996 for Ushnamēkhala, the Padmaprabha Award for lifetime achievement in 2001, the Samastha Kerala Sahitya Parishad Award and a second Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 2004, and the Central Sahitya Akademi Award in 2005 for Jappana Pukayila. He passed away on October 19, 2011.

PUNATHIL KUNHABDULLA

Punathil Kunhabdulla (1940–2017) was born in 1940 and earned his M.B.B.S. degree from Aligarh Muslim University. A prolific writer, he authored 35 works spanning genres such as novels, short stories, novelettes, memoirs, and travelogues. He received numerous accolades, including the Central and Kerala Sahitya Akademi Awards, the Muttathu Varkey Award, and the Vishwadeepam Award. He passed away on October 27, 2017.

P. K. BALAKRISHNAN

P. K. Balakrishnan (1926–1991) was a historian, journalist, and writer, born in Edavanakkad near Ernakulam. His college education was interrupted due to his imprisonment in connection with the Quit India Movement. He later became active in politics and journalism. He served as the editor of Dinaprabha, was a long-time editorial board member of Kerala Kaumudi, and the Chief Editor of the daily Madhyamam. His studies on literary figures like Kumaran Ashan and Ezhuthachan brought new insights to those fields. He received the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 1974 and the Vayalar Award in 1978. He passed away on April 3, 1991.

AKBAR KAKKATTIL

Akbar Kakkattil (1954–2016) was born on July 7, 1954, in Kakkattil, Kozhikode district. His father was P. Abdullah and his mother was C.K. Kunjamina. He held degrees in English Literature and Education, and a postgraduate degree in Malayalam Literature. He received several major honors, including the S.K. Pottekkatt Award, a Government of India Fellowship for Literature, the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, the State Television Award for Best Story Writer, and the Abu Dhabi Sakthi Award. Over his career, he published 47 works. He served as a member of the Central Sahitya Akademi and the Malayalam Advisory Board of the Kerala Government. From 2013, he was the Vice President of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi. He passed away on February 17, 2016.

Vinoy Thomas

Vinoy Thomas is a renowned Malayalam author. Karikkottakkari, which was selected and published from the DC Kizhakemuri Novel Competition, is his debut novel. He is the recipient of the 2019 Kerala Sahitya Academy Award for Story for Ramachi and the 2021 Kerala Sahitya Academy Award for Novel for his work Puttu. He is also the recipient of other prestigious accolades such as the Joseph Mundasseri Award and the V P Shivakumar Keli Award, among others.