Muttathu Varkey Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 8 (1999) Winner
Punathil Kunjabdulla
プナティル・クンジャブドゥッラ
Punathil Kunjabdulla
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1940-04-03 （Vatakara, Malabar District, Madras Presidency, British India (present-day Kerala, India)）
- Died
- 2017-10-27 （Calicut (Kozhikode), Kerala, India） age 77
- Nationality
- Indian
- Languages
- Malayalam, English
- Religion
- Islam (by birth) / culturally Hindu (self-described)
- Residence History
- Karakkad / Vatakara area (birth and childhood) → Aligarh (student years, Aligarh Muslim University) → Calicut (Kozhikode) (later life residence)
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Medical doctor
- Active Years
- 1958-2017
- Influenced By
- M. T. Vasudevan Nair, M. N. Vijayan
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government Brennen College, Thalassery | — | Science (B.Sc. equivalent) | B.Sc. | 1958–1962 | India |
| Aligarh Muslim University | — | Medicine (MBBS) | MBBS | 1962–1970 | India |
Government Brennen College, Thalassery
Science (B.Sc. equivalent)
Degree:
B.Sc.
Period:
1958–1962
Year of Graduation:
1962
Country:
India
Completed pre-degree and B.Sc. He chose not to pursue an M.A. in Malayalam and instead went on to medical studies.
Aligarh Muslim University
Medicine (MBBS)
Degree:
MBBS
Period:
1962–1970
Year of Graduation:
1970
Country:
India
Completed MBBS. Wrote many short stories during his stay in Aligarh.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Sahitya Akademi Award (Central) | Smarakasilakal (Memorial Stones) | 小説 | Sahitya Akademi | 受賞 |
| 1978 | Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Novel | Smarakasilakal (Memorial Stones) | 小説 | Kerala Sahitya Akademi | 受賞 |
| 1980 | Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Story | Malamukalile Abdulla | 短編 | Kerala Sahitya Akademi | 受賞 |
| 2001 | Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Travelogue | Volgayil Manju Peyyumbol | 紀行 | Kerala Sahitya Akademi | 受賞 |
| 2010 | Kerala Sahitya Akademi Fellowship | — | 栄誉 | Kerala Sahitya Akademi | 受賞 |
| 1999 | Muttathu Varkey Award | — | — | — | 受賞 |
| 2013 | Mathrubhumi Literary Award | — | — | Mathrubhumi | 受賞 |
| — | Vishwadeepam Award | Marunnu (Medicine) | — | — | 受賞 |
Sahitya Akademi Award (Central)
1980
Work:
Smarakasilakal (Memorial Stones)
Category:
小説
Organization:
Sahitya Akademi
Result:
受賞
Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Novel
1978
Work:
Smarakasilakal (Memorial Stones)
Category:
小説
Organization:
Kerala Sahitya Akademi
Result:
受賞
Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Story
1980
Work:
Malamukalile Abdulla
Category:
短編
Organization:
Kerala Sahitya Akademi
Result:
受賞
Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Travelogue
2001
Work:
Volgayil Manju Peyyumbol
Category:
紀行
Organization:
Kerala Sahitya Akademi
Result:
受賞
Kerala Sahitya Akademi Fellowship
2010
Category:
栄誉
Organization:
Kerala Sahitya Akademi
Result:
受賞
Muttathu Varkey Award
1999
Result:
受賞
Mathrubhumi Literary Award
2013
Organization:
Mathrubhumi
Result:
受賞
Vishwadeepam Award
Work:
Marunnu (Medicine)
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Smarakasilakal (Memorial Stones)
1977 NovelSet near the author's native Vatakara, the novel depicts the patriarchal and feudal structures of a family headed by Khan Bahadur Pookkoya Thangal, exploring power, decline and village society.
FeudalismPatriarchyVillage societyPower and decline
Marunnu (Medicine)
NovelNarrates the lives of MBBS students and the world of medical college and hospitals, reflecting the author's experiences as a doctor; themes include student life, medical ethics and mortality.
MedicineStudent lifeDeath
Aligarh Kathakal (Aligarh Stories)
2012 Short story collectionA collection of short stories based on his time in Aligarh, covering student life in North India, encounters and cross-cultural experiences.
Study abroad experienceCross-cultural encountersYouth
Bibliography
- Smarakasilakal (Memorial Stones)
- Marunnu (Medicine)
- Paralokam
- Aligarh Kathakal (Aligarh Stories)
- Malamukalile Abdulla
- Volgayil Manju Peyyumbol
- Kure Sthreekal
- Punathilinte 101 Kathakal
- Nashtajaathakam (Autobiography)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Avant-gardeModernist tendenciesDirect and frank depictionStrong regionality
- Recurring Motifs
- Village lifeMedicine and hospitalsDeathDesire and sexualityMasculinity and patriarchy
Health
-
Multiple ailments (age-related complications)晩年Reduced activity and impacted late-life productivity. Died in hospital.
Legacy
Punathil Kunjabdulla is regarded as an avant-garde and regionally rooted figure in contemporary Kerala literature. He introduced his medical experience into fiction, depicting village life and hospital settings in acclaimed short stories and novels. Works like Smarakasilakal earned major literary awards and left a significant mark on Malayalam literature.
Academic Societies
- Kerala Sahitya Akademi
Quotes
-
You don't have to do an MA to be a writer; all you need to know are the letters.
Source: M. N. Vijayan (advice while at Brennen College) -
They were the first to offer me a ticket. It is my commitment to the people and not any kind of affinity towards any particular party, that inspires me.
Source: Interview (regarding 2001 election candidacy) (2001)
Trivia
- Contested the 2001 Kerala assembly election as a BJP candidate from Beypore and finished third (10,934 votes).
- Born into a Muslim family but described himself as culturally Hindu; publicly admitted to liking alcohol and pork.
- Authored more than 45 books, including 7 novels and 15 short story collections.
- Lived alone in a flat in Calicut during his later years.