Biodata

Maniyambath Mukundan (born 10 September 1942) is an Indian author of Malayalam literature and former diplomat. He worked as a cultural attaché at the Embassy of France in Delhi from 1961 to 2004, while concurrently working as an author. Many of his early works are set in Mahé (Mayyazhi), his homeland, which earned him the moniker Mayyazhiyude Kathakaaran (Mayyazhi's storyteller). He is known to be one of the pioneers of modernity in Malayalam literature. Some of his best known works include Mayyazhippuzhayude Theerangalil, Daivathinte Vikrithikal, Kesavante Vilapangal, and Pravasam.He has received several literary awards, including Sahitya Akademi Award, Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, Vayalar Award, Crossword Book Award, JCB Prize, and the Ezhuthachan Puraskaram (the highest literary award of the Government of Kerala). He is also a recipient of the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres of the Government of France.His first literary work was a short story published in 1961 while the first novel, Delhi was published in 1969. Mukundan has so far published 12 novels which include his later works such as Adithyanum Radhayum Mattu Chilarum, Oru Dalit Yuvathiyude Kadanakatha, Kesavante Vilapangal and Nritham and ten collections of short stories (which totals 171 in numbers till 2012). Adithyanum Radhayum Mattu Chilarum is a fictional story which dethrone the time from the narrative, it gives the readers a new method of writing. 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 (Kesavan's Lamentations) one of his later works 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 has been translated into English and published By Penguin Books India.Three of his novels were made into feature films in Malayalam. He also co-wrote the screenplay of Daivathinte Vikrithikal (1992) for which he won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Story. His novel Pravasam (sojourn in non-native land) is the story of a Malayali whose journeys carry him around the world. Delhi Gadhakal (Tales from Delhi), a novel published in November 2011 is his recollections in India's capital city, New Delhi.Mukundan served as the president of Kerala Sahitya Akademi from October 2006 until March 2010.