M. Mukundan


Maniyambath Mukundan, commonly known as M. Mukundan, is an Indian writer of Malayalam literature. Many of his early works are set in Mayyazhi which has earned him the moniker, Mayyazhiyude Kathakaaran. He is known to be one of the pioneers of modernity in Malayalam literature and Mayyazhippuzhayude Theerangalil, Daivathinte Vikrithikal, Kesavante Vilapangal and Pravasam are some of his notable works.
He has received many honours including Vayalar Award, Sahitya Akademi Award, Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award. Crossword Book Award and the Ezhuthachan Puraskaram, the highest literacy honour of the Government of Kerala. He is also a recipient of the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres of the Government of France.

Biography

Mukundan was born on 10 September 1942 at Mahe, then a French overseas territory and now a part of Puducherry Union Territory in South India. Mukundan served as an official of the New Delhi office of the Embassy of France in Delhi. His first literary work was a short story published in 1961 while the first novel, Delhi was published in 1969. Mukundan has so far published 12 novels which include his later works such as Adithyanum Radhayum Mattu Chilarum, Oru Dalit Yuvathiyude Kadanakatha, Kesavante Vilapangal and Nritham and ten collections of short stories. Oru Dalit Yuvathiyude Kadanakatha reveals how Vasundhara, an actress has been insulted in the course of acting due to some unexpected situations. It proclaims the postmodern message that martyrs are created not only through ideologies, but through art also. Kesavante Vilapangal one of his later works tells the story of a writer Kesavan who writes a novel on a child named Appukkuttan who grows under the influence of E. M. S. Namboodiripad. Daivathinte Vikrithikal has been translated into English and published By Penguin Books India.
In 2008, Mukundan's magnum opus Mayyazhippuzhayude Theerangalil fetched him the award for the best novel published in the last 25 years. Three of his novels were made into feature films in Malayalam. He also wrote the script and one of them secured a state film award. His novel Pravasam is the story of a Malayali whose journeys carry him around the world. Delhi Gadhakal, a novel published in November 2011 is his recollections in India's capital city, New Delhi.
Mukundan served as the president of Kerala Sahitya Akademi from October 2006 until March 2010.

Awards and honours

Mukundan received Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Novel in 1973 for Ee Lokam Athiloru Manushyan. This was followed by Sahitya Akademi Award in 1992 when Daivathinte Vikrithikal was selected for the award; the novel also received the N.V. Puraskaram. He received two honours in 1998, Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres of the Government of France and the Muttathu Varkey Award. He received the Vayalar Award in 2003, for Kesavante Vilapangal and three years later, the English translation of Kesavan's Lamentations received the 2006 Crossword Book Award. The Government of Kerala awarded him their highest literary honour Ezhuthachan Puraskaram in 2018. He is also a recipient of M. P. Paul Award.

Works

Novels