S. K. Pottekkatt

S. K. Pottekkatt (1913–1982) was born on March 14, 1913, in Kozhikode. He was a celebrated travel writer, novelist, and short story author. In 1949, he undertook his first foreign journey by sea and went on to visit most countries across Europe, Africa, America, South Asia, and East Asia, often interacting closely with local communities. He won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 1962 for his novel Oru Theruvinte Katha and the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1973 for Oru Desathinte Katha, which also earned him the prestigious Jnanpith Award in 1980. The University of Calicut honored him with a doctorate. Other notable works include Nadan Premam and Vishakanyaka. He passed away on August 6, 1982.