Chandramathi


Chandrika Balan is an Indian bilingual writer who has published books in both English and Malayalam, under the pen name Chandramathi, ചന്ദ്രമതി in Malayalam. She is a writer of fiction and translator, and a critic in both English and Malayalam. Chandramathi has published four books in English and 20 books in Malayalam, including 12 collections of short stories including a novelette, an anthology of medieval Malayalam poetry, two collections of essays, two memoirs, and five books translated from English. Malayalam film Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela was based on her book.

Academic career

Chandramathi was born in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. She passed her post graduation in English Language and Literature from the University of Kerala in 1976 with a first class. In 1988 she received her PhD, from the University of Kerala. She was a Professor of English literature in All Saints' College, Thriuvananthapuram. From 1993 to 1994 she served as Executive Editor of Medieval Indian Literature.
In recognition of her academic career she received the Professor Sivaprasad Foundation Award for The Most Outstanding Teacher in 1999 and the Alumni Association of St. Berchmans College's award for the Best College Teacher in Kerala in 2002. In 1998 she visited Sweden with the team of 10 Indian writers under the Sahitya Akademi's cultural exchange programme. The visit inspired her to write the short story "Reindeer".

Awards

Aparnayude Thadavarakal . Kottayam: DCBooks 2013
Oliverude Diarykkurippukal. .Kottayam: DC Books,2011.
The latest Malayalam movie of Nivin Pauly—Njandukalude Nattil Oru Idavela is based on Chandramati's well-known memoirs titled Njandukalude Nattil Oru Idavela which is an autobiographical story of her long fight with cancer and survival.

Books in Malayalam: Translations