Edasseri Award

えだっせりしょう

An Indian literary award presented for outstanding works in Malayalam literature. Established in 1982 by Edasseri Smaraka Samithi in memory of poet Edasseri Govindan Nair. Each year a different branch of literature is considered for the award.

Literary awardMalayalam literaturePoetryNovelShort storyLiterary research/criticism

Established: 1982
Organizer: Edasseri Smaraka Samithi, Ponnani
Category: Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
Selection Method: Open call
Target: Open
Frequency: 1 per year
Announcement Period: around January–November
Status: Active

Description

The Edasseri Award is a literary prize established in 1982 by the Edasseri Smaraka Samithi in memory of Malayalam poet Edasseri Govindan Nair. Each year, one literary genre such as poetry, novels, or short stories is targeted. Submitted manuscripts or publications are shortlisted in the preliminary screening, from which a three-member jury selects the final winner. Winners are announced through the official website and media reports. According to Wikisource records, since its founding in 1982, there have been years with multiple winners, and the most recent recorded year is 2021.

Selection

Selection Process

Stage	Judges	Pass Rate	Announcement
Preliminary screening (examination of manuscripts and published works)	Preliminary screening by Edasseri Smaraka Samithi affiliates (detailed committee not specified)	—	Examine submissions and create shortlist
Final judging (selection by jury)	Usually 3 judges (3-member jury)	—	Judging committee selects winner from shortlist; organizer announces officially and via media

Preliminary screening (examination of manuscripts and published works)

Judges Preliminary screening by Edasseri Smaraka Samithi affiliates (detailed committee not specified)

Announcement Examine submissions and create shortlist

Final judging (selection by jury)

Judges Usually 3 judges (3-member jury)

Announcement Judging committee selects winner from shortlist; organizer announces officially and via media

Criteria

Literary value and expressive perfection in Malayalam
Originality and depth of theme
Suitability to the designated literary genre for the year (poetry, novels, etc.)
Overall completeness of the work (structure, language, theme development)

Application Tips

Dos

Always check entry requirements (language, genre, submission format) on the organizer's site
Submit high-quality manuscripts (or published books)
Enter works matching the targeted genre for that year (poetry, novels, short stories, etc.)
Include readable layout and clear author information

Don''ts

Do not send incomplete drafts or poorly proofread manuscripts
Do not submit in formats or languages violating entry rules
Do not enter the same work multiple times (follow rules)

From Judges

Emphasis on perfection and originality of language expression
Evaluation of theme depth and consistency as a work
Demonstrate suitability to the year's selected genre (theme and form consistency)