Vayalar Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 3 (1979) Winner
Malayattoor Ramakrishnan
マラヤットゥール・ラーマクリシュナン
Malayattoor Ramakrishnan
Aliases:
K. V. Ramakrishna Iyer
Pen Names:
Malayattoor Ramakrishnan（Pen name used for literary and public writings）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1927-05-27 （Kalpathi, Malabar District, Madras Presidency, British India）
- Died
- 1997-12-27 （Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India） age 70
- Nationality
- Indian
- Languages
- Malayalam, English, Tamil
- Religion
- Hinduism
- Residence History
- Kalpathi (birthplace) → Thottuva (near Cheranallur) → Mumbai (worked as journalist/sub-editor) → Thiruvananthapuram (later residence, place of death)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Short story writer, Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, Lawyer, Cartoonist, Screenwriter, Film director, Journalist
- Active Years
- 1950-1997
- Influenced By
- Kuttipuzha Krishna Pillai, Bram Stoker (influence via translations)
- Influenced
- T. D. Ramakrishnan, Perumbadavam Sreedharan, Prabha Varma
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union Christian College, Aluva | — | — | — | — | India |
| University College, Thiruvananthapuram | — | — | — | — | India |
| Law degree (institution not specified) | — | — | 法学位 | — | India |
Union Christian College, Aluva
Country:
India
Studied under critic Kuttipuzha Krishna Pillai
University College, Thiruvananthapuram
Country:
India
Graduated and worked briefly as a tutor at the college
Law degree (institution not specified)
Degree:
法学位
Country:
India
Trained in law and practised as a lawyer
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Novel | Verukal (Roots) | — | Kerala Sahitya Akademi | 受賞 |
| 1979 | Vayalar Award | Yanthram | — | Vayalar Ramavarma Memorial Trust | 受賞 |
Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Novel
1967
Work:
Verukal (Roots)
Organization:
Kerala Sahitya Akademi
Result:
受賞
Vayalar Award
1979
Work:
Yanthram
Organization:
Vayalar Ramavarma Memorial Trust
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Verukal (Roots)
1966 Novel (semi-autobiographical)A semi-autobiographical novel telling the story of a Tamil-speaking Iyer family settled in Kerala, exploring memory and identity.
rootsidentityfamily history
Translations
- Roots (translated by V. Abdulla)
Yanthram
1976 NovelA novel focusing on the workings of administration and bureaucracy; it won a major literary award.
bureaucracypower and ethics
Yakshi
1996 Novel (psychological/supernatural)A story blending supernatural elements and psychological themes; adapted into film.
supernaturalpsychologydesire and fear
Adaptations
- [Film] Yakshi (film)
Ponni
1967 NovelBased on the life of Adivasis of Attappady, depicting tribal life and social realities.
ethnicitysocial realitieslife on the margins
Adaptations
- [Film] Ponni (1976 film) (1976)
Service Story – Ente IAS Dinangal
1986 Memoir / Non-fictionMemoirs documenting his career in the Indian Administrative Service.
bureaucratic experiencememoir
Aaraam Viral (The Sixth Finger)
1994 NovelOne of his later novels; it has been translated into English as The Sixth Finger.
fatepersonal transformation
Translations
- The Sixth Finger (English translation by Prema Jayakumar)
Bibliography
- Doctor Vezhambal
- Verukal
- Yakshi
- Ponni
- Yanthram
- Ananthayaathra
- Nettoormadam
- Mrthiyude kavaadam
- Aaraam viral
- Svaraṃ
- Amrutam thedi
- Sirassil Varachathu
- Grahanam
- Brigadier-related short story collections (e.g., Brigadier Kathakal)
- Service Story: Ente IAS Dinangal
Adaptations
- Yakshi (novel adapted to film)
- Ponni (novel adapted to film)
- Lakshaprabhu (story/screenplay provided)
- Odukkam Thudakkam (directed by the author)
Translations by Author
- Sherlock Holmes stories (English to Malayalam translations)
- Dracula (Bram Stoker) (English to Malayalam; among the first Malayalam translations)
Translations of Works
- Roots (English translation of Verukal by V. Abdulla)
- The Sixth Finger (English translation of Aaraam viral by Prema Jayakumar)
- Five Cents of Land (English translation)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- realist descriptionssemi-autobiographical narrationtone mixing humor and irony
- Recurring Motifs
- roots and originbureaucracy and powermarginalized/tribal lifesupernatural (e.g., yakshi)memory and identity
Legacy
A major figure in Kerala literature with contributions across journalism, literature, cartoons and film. Celebrated for works such as Verukal; several works were adapted to film and translated into English. An eponymous trust established literary and arts awards in his name.
Academic Societies
- Kerala Sahitya Akademi (institution that honored his work)
Archives
- Manuscripts and correspondence held by public archives and publishers (details unspecified)
In Popular Culture
- Several works adapted into films, influencing Malayalam cinema
- English translations like Roots brought his work to an international readership
Trivia
- Birth name was K. V. Ramakrishna Iyer.
- Actor Jayaram is his nephew.
- He produced one of the earliest Malayalam translations of Bram Stoker's Dracula.
- The Malayattoor Charitable Trust established a literary award and a painting & sculpture award in his name.