V.T. Kumaran Memorial Poetry Award Archives

KALPATA NARAYANAN

Kalpetta Narayanan was born in Kalpetta, Wayanad district, to Sankaran Nair and Narayani Amma in January 1952. He was a teacher at Brennan College, Thalassery and Arts & Science College, Kozhikode. Now living in Kollam, near Koyilandi. Poet, novelist, essayist, literary and socio-cultural critic. Major works: Samayaprabhu, Oru Mudanthante Suvisham, Karuta Pal, Ithramatham, Evidamividam, Ethilayum Madhurikunna Kadukalil, Kayar Murukkukkayanu, Ente Basheer, Oru Cinema Prekshakante Athmakatha, Soundaryam Veluppumai Orudambadiyilum Oppuvechittilla, Kavithayude Jeevacharithram. He has received the Kerala Sahitya Academy Award for Poetry and Literary Criticism in 2017, as well as the Padma Prabha Puraskaram, Basheer Award, V. T. Kumaran Award, Ayyappan Award, and Dr T. Bhaskaran Award, among others.

DIVAKARAN VISHNUMANGALAM

Divakaran Visnumangalam, a noted Malayalam author, was born on March 5, 1965, in Visnumangalam, Ajanur village, Kasaragod district. He holds an M.S.C. with a rank in Geology. His spouse is Nisha, and Harsha is his daughter. Worked as a senior geologist in the Department of Geology.

He has published children’s literature works, Nirvachanam, Padavali, Jeevanane Button, Dhamanikal, Ravorma, Koyakatta, Sonamnam (poem collections), Muthasshi Ksheriya (children’s poems), Unniarcha, Palattu Koman (recitation). The poem is entitled V.T. Kumaran Memorial Poetry Award (1989), Mahakavi Kuttamath Award (1995), Kerala Sahitya Akademi’s Kanakasree Endowment Award (1996), Vailoppilly Award (1997), Edassery Award (2005), Jwala Award from Mumbai (2006), Abu Dhabi Shakti Award (2007), Mahatma Gandhi University’s ‘Samskara’ Poetry Award (2014), N.V. Krishnawarrier Memorial Poetry Award (2015), Mahakavi P. Foundation’s Thamarathoni Poetry Award (2017), Moodadi Damodaran Memorial Poetry Award (2018), V.V.K. He is the recipient of the Poetry Award (2019), Mooloor Award (2019), Thirunallur Poetry Award (2021) and other awards. Represented Malayalam poetry at the National Youth Poetry Conference jointly organised by the Kendra Sahitya Akademi and the Kerala Sahitya Akademi in 2003 and at the National All-Language Poets Conference organised by All India Radio in Guwahati on the occasion of Republic Day in 2010.

VEERANKUTTY

Veerankutty was born in Narayankulam, Kozhikode district, to Kunjabdulla and Ayisha. He was the head of the Malayalam department at Madappally Govt. College. His works include Undanum Noolanum, Veerankuttyude Kavithakal, Mindaprani, Kunjan Puli Kunjan Muyalaya Katha, A Stroll Grazing Each Other (Ullas R Koya) ect. His work Mindaprani won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Poetry in 2017. He has won the Cherusseri Award, P. Kunjiraman Nair Award, V.T. Kumaran Poetry Award, K.S.K. Thalikkulam Award, Tamil Nadu CTMA Literary Award, Abu Dhabi Harithakshara Award for poetry and the SBT Award for children’s literature. His poetry has been published in Poetry International Magazine. It has been translated into languages such as English, German, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, and Hindi.