N. Prabhakaran

N. Prabhakaran is a noted short story writer, novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, educationist, editor and columnist in Malayalam.[1] The eldest of the five children born to N Kunhambu and A Kalliani, Prabhakaran was born at Parassinikkadavu in Kannur district of Kerala on 30 December 1952. He spent his childhood days at Madayi.[2] Prabhakaran studied at Madayi L P School, Govt. High School, Madayi, Payyannur College and Government Brennen College, Thalassery. He served as a lecturer at the Dept. of Malayalam of Lekshmipuram college of Arts and Science, Neyyoor, Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu, University College, Thiruvananthapuram, CKG Memorial Govt College, Perambra, and Govt Brennen College, Thalassery, and retired while serving as the Head of the Malayalam Department of Brennen College. The writer also served as a visiting professor of Malayalam at University of Calicut. Prabhakaran resides at Dharmadam in Thalassery.

N Prabhakaran
Born (1952-12-30) 30 December 1952
Parassinikadavu, India
OccupationWriter, Professor
LanguageMalayalam
Period1966–present
GenreShort story, novel, novella, play, travelogue, screen play, literary criticism
Notable worksThiyur Rekhakal,
Pulijanmam
SpouseK P Reena

Literary career

Though N Prabhakaran began writing in 1966, he established himself as a writer with the short story "Ottayante Pappan", published in 1971. The story won the first prize in the short story competition for college students conducted by Mathrubhumi Azhchappathippu, the Malayalam general interest weekly, in connection with its Vishu special.

Now N Prabhakaran has 42 books, spanning a number of genres, to his credit.

Short Story Collections
  • Ottayante Pappan (Mahout of the Lone Tusker)
  • Marupiravi
  • Rathrimozhi
  • Parakkum Paravathani
  • Katha
  • Mayamayan
  • Thiranjetutha Kathakal (Selected Stories)
  • Bhoomiyude Attathu
  • Ittarciyile Sooryan
  • Vagan Yathra
  • Rameswaram
  • Manasu Pokunna Vazhiye
  • Marupiraviyum Mattu Kathakalum (Marupiravi and Other Stories)

Novellas
  • Ezhinum Meethe
  • Janthujanam
  • Bhoothabhoomi
  • Adrusyavanangal
  • Oru Malayali Branthante Diary[3]
  • Kshouram

Novels
  • Thiyoor Rekhakal [4][5]
  • Bhahuvachanam
  • Jeevante Thelivukal
  • Janakatha
  • Mayamanushyar[6]

Anthology of Poems
  • Kalnada
  • Njan Theruvilekku Nokki
  • kakka

Plays

Travelogue
  • Kutaku Kurippukal (Coorg Notes)

Screen Play

Collections of Essays
  • Katha Thedunna Katha
  • Kathatmakama
  • Maunathinte Muzhakkangal
  • Nanmayute Mamaram
  • Azhathil Vecha Kallukal
  • Athmavinte Swntham Nattil Ninnu
  • Kavithayude Kathal
  • Ezhuthinte Swadesam

Collections of Speeches
  • Pathu Prabhashanangal

Memoir

1. Ittittipullu.Kottayam: SPCS, 2018.

Edited Works

1. Editorial Core Committee Convener of Nammude Sahityam, Nammude Samooham (1901-2000) (Our Literature, Our Society (1901-2000) published by the Kerala Sahitya Akademy in 4 volumes.

2. General Editor of the collected works of eminent scholar M.N.Vijayan, published by Current Books,Trichur in 2001. The revised edition of the same work is to be published by the State Institute of Language soon.

3. Editor of the souvenir published in connection with the 125th anniversary of Govt Brennen College, Thalassery, in 2016

4. Guest Editor of Samayam Magazine published from Kannur

Awards

1. "Ottayante Pappan" – won the first prize in the short story competition for college students conducted by Mathrubhumi weekly in connection with the Vishu Special (1971)

2. Pulijanmam won the first prize in the state level drama competition conducted by Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi (1987)

3. Pulijanmam won Cherukad Award and the Kerala Sahithya Akademi Award (1987)

4. The film Pulijanmam based on the drama of the same name won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in 2006

5. The short story "Pigman" won the Katha (New Delhi) Award (1994)

6. Pattiam Gopalan Smaraka Award (1995)

7. The short story collection Rathrimozhi won Kerala Sahithya Akademi Award (1996)

8. The short story collection Mayamayan won V.K.Unnikrishnan Memorial Award (2000)

9. Novel Thiyyor Rekhakal won the first EMS Memorial Award of Munnad EMS Smaraka Trust (2005)

10. U P Jayaraj Award (2007)

11. Novel Jeevante Thelivukal won Melur Damodaran Sahithya Puraskaram (2008)

12. Thiranjetutha Kathakal (Selected Stories) won the first Vaikom Muhammad Basheer Smaraka Sahithya Award (2009)

13. 21st Muttathu Varkey Memorial Award (2011)

14. The short story "Kulipathalam" won the Padmarajan Award 2017 [8][9]

15. Alakkode Sargavedi-Navarathna Award-2019

16. The novel 'Mayamanushyar' won the Odakkuzhal Award-2020

17. Crossword Book Award for Diary of a Malayali Mad Man, translated by Jayasree Kalathil- 2020

School of Literature

An informal literature appreciation course to enrich the literary sensibility of readers and provide them meaningful insights on various genres of literature, literary movements, objectives of literature, benefits of literature, evolution of literary forms and evolving trends in literature is offered by N Prabhakaran. The six-day talk series titled 'Sahithya Padasala' (School of Literature) started at Alakkode in Kannur district in July 2017 under the auspices of Alakkode Readers Forum is considered as the pioneering endeavor in Kerala offering informal education in literature.[10] Classes, discussions and training in creative writing are provided by the writer. The school of literature was also launched at the writer's native place Madayi in August 2017 [11]

Translated Works

N Prabhakaran's stories were translated into many languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Tulu, Kannada, Marathi, Hindi, Urdu, English and German. The short story "Daivathinte Poombatta"(Butterfly of the God) is his most translated and most anthologized work.

HarperCollins India published his fiction in English 'Diary of a Malayali Madman' translated from Malayalam by Jayasree Kalathil in February 2019.

Politics

Prabhakaran was associated with Leftist cultural and political organisations in early years. He was the first Kannur district secretary of Balasangam, one of the largest children organisations in India. He was the chairman candidate of Students' Federation of India (SFI) at Brennen College in 1974. Prabhakaran was also associated with the launching of Student magazine of SFI. During the period of The Emergency (India) Prabhakaran was part of the outfit Students for Human Rights. At present he is associated with All India Forum Right to Education. The writer dissociates from political affiliations of late.

Controversy

N Prabhakaran's short story "Kaliyezhuthu" which was published in Mathrubhumi weekly in December 2017 invited vehement criticism from a section of school teachers in Kerala as the story was critical of the new pedagogy and the teachers' training sessions implemented in the state. While a section of teachers and educationists argued that the story exposed the pitfalls in school education system, the others went on airing harsh comments on writer that raised many concerns on freedom of expression. [12] [13]


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References

[14] [15] [16] [17]

  1. Sudhakaran, P. "Shelf Life-Words are Weapons-N Prabhakaran" Times of India. 14 Feb 2015. http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31811&articlexml=SHELF-LIFE-WORDS-ARE-WEAPONS-14022015002007
  2. Sarith, C. "Madayiparayude Makan" ("The Son of Madayipara"). Mathrubhumi. 19 Spt 2017. http://digitalpaper.mathrubhumi.com/1362591/Kannur/19-September-2017#page/17
  3. "ഒരു മലയാളി ഭ്രാന്തന്റെ ഡയറി ( The Diary of a Malayali Madman)". Kaitholil.com - India's favorite bookstore. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  4. Bhaskar, B R P. "Malayalam Novel Thiyoor Rekhakal" The Hindu. 18 Feb 2003. http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/br/2003/02/18/stories/2003021800120303.htm
  5. Shaji, K A. http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kozhikode/Spotlight-on-evolution-of-Kerala/article16916980.ece
  6. "മായാമനുഷ്യർ". Kaitholil.com - India's favorite bookstore. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  7. George, Vijay. "Life is not Always Beautiful". The Hindu. 12 Jan 2012. http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/life-is-not-always-beautiful/article2795458.ece
  8. "Ashiq Abu's 'Mayanadi', N Prabhakaran's 'Kulipathalam' win Padmarajan awards" The New Indian Express. 11 May 2018. http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/malayalam/2018/may/11/ashiq-abus-mayanadi-n-prabhakarans-kulipathalam-win-padmarajan-awards-1813327.html
  9. "Padmarajan awards announced " The Hindu. 12 May 2018. http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/padmarajan-awards-announced-briefly/article23859884.ece
  10. Sarith, C. "Sahithyathinde Padasalakal" (Schools of Literature). Mathrubhumi. 21 January 2018. http://digitalpaper.mathrubhumi.com/1513134/Kannur/JANUARY-21,-2018#page/18/1
  11. Alora, Mohanan. "Sahithyathe Aduthariyam" (Have a Better Understanding of Literature). Mathrubhumi. 11 July 2017. http://digitalpaper.mathrubhumi.com/1277536/Kannur/11-july-2017#page/20
  12. Sudhakaran, P. "Writer faces wrath of a section of teachers". The Times of India. 20 Dec 2017. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/writer-faces-wrath-of-a-section-of-teachers/articleshow/62159011.cms
  13. "Kaliyezhuth: Clusterile Porul Purath, Kathakrithinethire Bheeshaniyum Therivilikalum" ("Kaliyezhuth: Cluster Exposed, Threats and Verbal Assaults on Writer". The Mathrubhumi. 15 Dec 2017. https://www.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/mathrubhumi-weekly-short-story-by-n-prabhakaran-1.2459483".
  14. "DC Books-Online BookStore". Onlinestore.dcbooks.com. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  15. "Award for N. Prabhakaran". Thehindu.com. 29 April 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  16. "Pulijanmam to be screened today". Thehindu.com. 29 June 2008. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  17. "Pigman:Tale of an inspired youngster". newindianexpress.com. 3 April 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
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