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S. Hareesh

エス・ハリース

S. Hareesh

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1975-05-15 （Neendoor, Kottayam, Kerala, India）
Nationality
Indian
Languages
Malayalam

Career

Occupations
Writer, Translator, Screenwriter, Village assistant
Active Years
1995-

Awards

JCB Prize for Literature
2020
Work: Meesa (English translation: Moustache)
Organization: JCB Prize for Literature
Result: 受賞
Nandanar Award
2020
Work: Meesa
Result: 受賞
Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Novel
2019
Work: Meesa
Organization: Kerala Sahitya Akademi
Result: 受賞
Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Story
2018
Work: Short story collection Aadam
Organization: Kerala Sahitya Akademi
Result: 受賞
Kerala State Film Award for Best Screenplay
2017
Work: Aedan (film) (story / adapted screenplay)
Organization: Kerala State Film Awards
Result: 受賞
Thomas Mundassery Award
2009
Result: 受賞
Geetha Hiranyan Endowment
2008
Work: Rasavidhyayude Charithram
Organization: Kerala Sahitya Akademi
Result: 受賞
V. P. Sivakumar Memorial Keli Award
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Rasavidhyayude Charithram

2005 Short story collection

Early short story collection containing tales that draw on folklore, personal memory and rural life.

folklorerural lifememory

Aadam

2016 Short story collection

Collection of short stories; some stories were adapted into films.

violencesocial relationsrural society
Adaptations
  • [Film] Aedan / Sanju Surendran (2018)

Appan

2018 Short story collection 130 pages

2018 collection exploring fatherhood and family relationships.

familyfatherhoodeveryday life

Meesa

2018 Novel 328 pages

A novel set in mid-20th century Kerala that examines caste, religion and local power dynamics. It provoked controversy during serialization but was later published in book form.

castereligionlocal communitypower
Translations
  • English translation: Moustache (translator: Jayasree Kalathil)

Moustache

2020 Novel (English translation) 360 pages

English translation of Meesa; retains the original's examination of caste and local society and received critical acclaim.

castelocal culture

August 17

2022 Novel 368 pages

Novel published in 2022. Detailed information is limited.

Pattunool Puzhu

2024 Novel 290 pages

Novel published in 2024. Limited detailed information available.

Bibliography

  • Rasavidhyayude Charithram (2005)
  • Aadam (2016)
  • Appan (2018)
  • Meesa (2018)
  • August 17 (2022)
  • Pattunool Puzhu (2024)

Adaptations

  • Film adaptations from his short stories: Aedan (2018), elements adapted for Jallikattu (2019)

Translations by Author

  • Malayalam translation of The Last Lecture (Anthyaprabhashanam) (2012)

Translations of Works

  • Meesa → Moustache (English translation, 2020; translator: Jayasree Kalathil)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Realist, introspective proseUse of dialect and regional vocabularyBlend of folkloric elements with realism
Recurring Motifs
caste and social hierarchydynamics of rural communitiesmasculinity and ritualviolence and nature

Legacy

S. Hareesh is an influential Malayalam writer whose short stories and novels sharply depict caste and regional culture; his work has impacted Indian cinema through adaptations. The serialization controversy over Meesa provoked debate, but the book and its English translation gained critical recognition and reached a wide readership.

Academic Societies

  • Kerala Sahitya Akademi

In Popular Culture

  • Lijo Jose Pellissery's Jallikattu drew on elements of Hareesh's short story and became India's official entry for the Academy Awards.
  • The English translation Moustache attracted international attention and was recognized by awards such as the JCB Prize.

Quotes

  • "I drew on the stories I have been hearing from childhood to write 'Meesa'."
    Source: Interview in The Hindu (2020)

Trivia

  • He is employed as a village assistant in Kaipuzha, Kottayam district, Kerala.
  • Meesa was withdrawn from serialization after protests by right-wing groups but was later published as a book.
  • The short story 'Maoist' influenced the film Jallikattu, which became India's official entry for the Academy Awards.