M. K. Menon

Moorkkanaat Krishnankutty Menon (23 June 1928 – 13 May 1993),[1] better known by his nom de plume Vilasini, was an Indian writer from Kerala who wrote in Malayalam-language. He is the author of India's longest novel, Avakasikal (The Inheritors), for which he won the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award in 1981 and Vayalar Award in 1983.[2][3] His first novel Niramulla Nizhalukal won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 1966.

Biography

M. K. Menon was born in Karumathra, near Vadakkancherry, British India. He got his degree in Mathematics in 1947 from St. Thomas College, Trichur. In 1953 he left for Singapore where he started his life as the editor of the English monthly called Indian Movie News. Two years later, he became the sub-editor at the French News service Agence France-Presse (AFP)[1] in Singapore. He was also a member of the Kerala Socialist Party. He came back to Kerala in 1977.

He made his debut as a novelist with the book Niramulla Nizhalukal (1965) that gives a vivid description of the lives of Malayalis in Singapore during the Second World War. He has a special liking for the stream of consciousness novel. As a novel that narrates the entire story through what passes in the minds of characters Oonjal is remarkable.[4] Vilasini followed the examples of James Joyce and Virginia Woolf in his novels. His best known work is Avakasikal (The Inheritors). It runs into 3958 pages, in four volumes, and is the longest novel in an Indian language.

Vilasini also translated many novels into Malayalam, including Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo and The Blind Owl (Boof-e koor) by Sadegh Hedayat.[5]

Published works

Novels
  • Avakasikal (Inheritors)
  • Oonjaal (Swing)
  • Thudakkam (Beginning)
  • Inaangaatta Kannikal
  • Chundeli
  • Yathramukham
  • Niramulla Nizhalukal

Others
  • Kaithiri (Poems)
  • Uthirmanikal (essays)
  • Novalilekkoru Kilivaathil (essays)
  • Prathyakshavalkaranam Novelil (essays)
  • Swa-le (Journalism)
  • Sahashayanam (Translation of Kawabata Yasunari's Japanese Novel)
  • Kurudan Moonga (Translation of the Persian novel Boof-e koor (The Blind Owl) by Sadegh Hedayat)
  • Pedroparamo (Translation of the Spanish novel Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo)

Achievements
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See also

References
  1. "Arithmetic of Life". Boloji.com. 29 June 2007. Retrieved 31 July 2007.
  2. "Awards and Fellowships". Sahitya Akademi. 29 June 2007. Retrieved 1 August 2007.
  3. "Malayalam literary awards". Information & Public Relations Department, Government of Kerala. Archived from the original on 24 May 2007. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  4. "Malayalam novels". The Hindu. 15 April 2003. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  5. "Metaphors of life and death". The Hindu. 5 October 2004. Retrieved 28 June 2013.


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