World Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Sarah Joseph

サラ・ジョセフ

Sarah Joseph

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1946-01-01 （Kuriachira (Thrissur), Kingdom of Cochin, British India (present-day Kerala, India)）
Nationality
India
Languages
Malayalam, English
Religion
Christianity
Residence History
Mulamkunnathukavu (Thrissur district), Kerala, India

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Short story writer, Essayist, Teacher, Social activist
Active Years
1960-
Influenced By
Vyloppilli Sreedhara Menon, Edasseri Govindan Nair
Influenced
Sangeetha Sreenivasan (daughter, writer)

Education

Teacher training course (institution unknown)
Degree: 教員資格
Period: 不詳
Country: India
Completed a teacher training course while in school and later worked as a teacher.
University (private candidate, institution unknown)
Faculty of Arts (Malayalam) / Malayalam
Degree: B.A., M.A.（私費受験）
Period: 不詳
Country: India
Obtained B.A. and M.A. as a private candidate and later served as a college lecturer (Sanskrit College, Pattambi).

Awards

Sahitya Akademi Award
2003
Work: Aalahayude Penmakkal (Daughters of God the Father)
Organization: Sahitya Akademi (India)
Result: 受賞（後に返却）
Vayalar Award
2004
Work: Aalahayude Penmakkal
Organization: Vayalar Ramavarma Memorial Trust
Result: 受賞
Cherukad Award
2000
Work: Aalahayude Penmakkal
Organization: Cherukad Award Committee
Result: 受賞
Muttathu Varkey Award
2011
Work: Papathara (short story collection)
Organization: Muttathu Varkey Award Committee
Result: 受賞
O. V. Vijayan Sahitya Puraskaram
2011
Work: Ooru Kaval
Organization: O. V. Vijayan Foundation
Result: 受賞
Padmaprabha Literary Award
2012
Organization: Padmaprabha Foundation
Result: 受賞
Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award
Work: Aalahayude Penmakkal
Organization: Kerala Sahitya Akademi
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Aalahayude Penmakkal (Daughters of God the Father)

Novel

A novel that portrays women living under religious and patriarchal structures and critiques society from a feminist perspective. One of her major award-winning works.

FeminismCritique of religionPatriarchy

Othappu

Novel

Through characters positioned outside established religious and social frameworks, the novel questions faith and freedom. It has been translated into English.

FaithFreedomSocial norms
Adaptations
  • [Translation] Othappu: The Scent of the Other Side (2009)
Translations
  • English translation by Valson Thampu (OUP, 2009)

Papathara

Short story collection

A collection of short stories addressing women's experiences and social oppression. Recipient of the 2011 Muttathu Varkey Award.

Women's experiencesViolence and oppression
Translations
  • Selected stories translated in 'The Masculine of the Virgin' (translated by J. Devika, OUP, 2013)

Retelling the Ramayana (Ramayana Kathakal)

Retelling / Commentary

A retelling of the Ramayana from Kerala perspectives. An English translation was published by Oxford University Press.

Myth reinterpretationFeminine perspectives
Adaptations
  • [Translation] Retelling the Ramayana (English translation, OUP) (2005)
Translations
  • English translation by Vasanthi Sankaranarayanan (OUP, 2005)

Bibliography

  • Manassile Thee Matram (1973)
  • Kadinte Sangeetham (1975, anthology)
  • Raktachandran (short story)
  • Dukhavelli (short story)
  • Pathalappadikal (short stories)
  • Papathara (short story collection)
  • Prakasiniyude Makkal (short stories)
  • Dampatyam (In Marriage)
  • Oduvilathe Suryakanthi (short story)
  • Puthuramayanam (short story)
  • Aalahayude Penmakkal (novel)
  • Maattaathi (novel)
  • Othappu (novel)
  • Ooru Kaval (novel)
  • Ati (A Gift of Green)

Translations of Works

  • Othappu — English translation by Valson Thampu (OUP, 2009)
  • Retelling the Ramayana — English translation by Vasanthi Sankaranarayanan (OUP, 2005)
  • The Masculine of the Virgin — translated collection (translated by J. Devika, OUP, 2013)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Feminist realismSocial and political critiqueDirect, forceful narration
Recurring Motifs
Women's agencyReligion and powerFamily and oppression

Legacy

One of the leading feminist writers in Malayalam literature. Known for works that critique religion and patriarchy from women's perspectives, she has also been an influential social activist for women's rights.

Quotes

  • “There is a growing fear and lack of freedom under the present government,” criticizing the silence of the Sahitya Akademi.
    Source: NDTV (report on returning Sahitya Akademi Award, 2015) (2015)

Trivia

  • Married at age 15 while still in school.
  • Served as a Malayalam professor at Sanskrit College, Pattambi.
  • Founded the women's group Manushi in the 1980s and led long-term activism on women's issues.
  • Her daughter Sangeetha Sreenivasan is also a writer.