M. Mukundan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It has been suggested that M.Mukundan be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

M Mukundan is one of the pioneers of modernity in Malayalam literature. He was born on 10 September 1942 at Mayyazhi in Mahe, a former French territory in Kerala. He is the current President of Kerala Sahitya Akademi.

He is known in Kerala as 'Mayyazhiyude Kadhakaaran'(Story teller of Mayyazhi) - Mayyazhi figures in his early works; 'Mayyazhippuzhayude Theerangalil', 'Daivathinte Vikrithikal', 'Appam Chudunna Kunkiyamma' and 'Lesli Achante Kadangal'.

His first literary work was a short story published in 1961. Mukundan has so far published 11 novels and 10 collections of short stories. Mukundan's latest four novels 'Adithyanum Radhayum Mattu Chilarum', 'Oru Dalit Yuvathiyude Kadanakatha','Kesavante Vilapangal' and 'Nirtham ' carries a change in structure and approach.

'Oru Dalit Yuvathiyude Kadanakatha' reveals how Vasundhara, an actress has been insulted in the course of acting due to some unexpected situations. It proclaims the postmodern message that martyrs are created not only through ideologies, but through art also.

'Kesavante Vilapangal' the latest work of Mukundan tells the story of a writer Kesavan who writes a novel on a child named Appukkuttan who grows under the influence of E. M. S. Namboodiripad. 'Daivathinte Vikrithikal' bagged the Kendra Sahithya Academy award and NV Prize. 'Ee Lokam Athiloru Manushyan' bagged the Kerala Sahitya Academy award. Daivathinte Vikrithikal has been translated into English and published By Penguin Books India.

In 2008, Mukundan's magnum opus Mayyazhi Puzhayude Theerangalil fetched him the award for the best novel published in the last 25 years. Three of his novels were made into feature films in Malayalam . Mukundan wrote the script and one of them bagged a state film award.

The French government conferred on him the title of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 1998 for his contribution to literature.

[edit] External links

• South Asian Literary Recordings Project, United States Library of Congress
• M Mukundan Profile
• Works and Reviews

[edit] Works Translated

• 1999. On the Banks of the Mayyazhi. Trans. Gita Krishnankutty. Chennai: Manas.
• 2002. Sur les rives du fleuve Mahé. Trans. Sophie Bastide-Foltz. Actes Sud.
• 2002. God's Mischief. Trans. Prema Jayakumar. Delhi: Penguin.
• 2004. Adityan, Radha, and Others. Trans. C Gopinathan Pillai. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi.
• 2005. The Train that Had Wings: Selected Short Stories of M. Mukundan. trans. Donald R. Davis, Jr. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
• 2006. Kesavan's Lamentations. Trans. A.J. Thomas. New Delhi: Rupa.
• 2007. Nrittam: a Malayalam Novel. Trans. Mary Thundyil Mathew. Lewiston: Edwin Mellen.