The French government conferred on him the title of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 1998 for his contribution to literature.Įven though I have heard the name M Mukundan many times, it was quite an accident that I stumbled up on a book of his. Mukundan's latest novel is 'Pravasam' (sojourn in non-native land) and tells the story of a Malayali whose journeys carry him around the world. Mukundan wrote the script and one of them bagged a state film award. Three of his novels were made into feature films in Malayalam. In 2008, Mukundan's magnum opus Mayyazhi Puzhayude Theerangalil fetched him the award for the best novel published in the last 25 years. Daivathinte Vikrithikal has been translated into English and published By Penguin Books India. 'Ee Lokam Athiloru Manushyan' bagged the Kerala Sahitya Academy award. 'Daivathinte Vikrithikal' bagged the Kendra Sahithya Academy award and NV Prize.

'Kesavante Vilapangal' one of his most recent works tells the story of a writer Kesavan who writes a novel on a child named Appukkuttan who grows under the influence of E. It proclaims the postmodern message that martyrs are created not only through ideologies, but through art also. 'Oru Dalit Yuvathiyude Kadanakatha' reveals how Vasundhara, an actress has been insulted in the course of acting due to some unexpected situations. Mukundan's latest four novels 'Adithyanum Radhayum Mattu Chilarum', 'Oru Dalit Yuvathiyude Kadanakatha','Kesavante Vilapangal' and 'Nritham ' carries a change in structure and approach. Mukundan has so far published 12 novels and ten collections of short stories. His first literary work was a short story published in 1961. His native village of Mayyazhi figures in his early works: 'Mayyazhippuzhayude Theerangalil', 'Daivathinte Vikrithikal', 'Appam Chudunna Kunkiyamma' and 'Lesli Achante Kadangal'. Mukundan is known in Kerala as 'Mayyazhiyude Kathakaaran' (The story-teller of Mayyazhi).

He served as the president of Kerala Sahitya Akademi from October 2006 until March 2010. He was born on 10 September 1942 at Mayyazhi in Mahe, a one-time French territory in Kerala. മുകുന്ദൻ) is one of the pioneers of modernity in Malayalam literature.

Delhi by M. Mukundan