Kovilan

Kovilan was born in Kandanassery in Guruvayur, Thrissur to Vattomparambil Shanku Velappan and Kotakkattil Kunjandi Kali.^{[citation needed]} He did his early education at the Kandanisseri Excelsior School and Nenmini Higher Elementary School. He then joined the Sahitya Deepika Sanskrit College at Pavaratty at the age of 13. He attended classes of K. P. Narayana Pisharody, P. C. Vasudevan Elayathu, M. P. Sankunni Nair, Cherukadu and Srikrishna Sharma. Even as a student, he had shown interest in writing poems and stories.^{[citation needed]}

A follower of Mahatma Gandhi, Kovilan left the Sanskrit College to participate in the Quit India Movement. That marked the end of his formal academic education. By the time he quit, he had written at least three novels.^{[citation needed]}

He joined the Royal Indian Navy in 1943 and was trained in Anti-submarine Detecting Operations.^{[citation needed]} He served in Bengal sea, Burma and Singapore. He quit following the Royal Indian Navy mutiny of 1946 and returned home. While back in Kerala, Kovilan maintained a close friendship with Vaikom Muhammed Basheer, Joseph Mundassery and C. J. Thomas. He also took part in the trade union movements. In 1948 he passed SSLC and worked for a while as a stenographer for Joseph Mundassery. In 1948, he joined the Indian Army Corps of Signals as Radio Mechanic.^[4] He also specialised in electronics. For five years he lived in the Himalayas. While in army, he came in contact with soldier-turned-writers Parappurath and Nandanar. He also worked as National Cadet Corps training officer at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. He retired from the Indian Army in 1968 as Havildar Major and settled down at Pullanikunnu at Kandanassery.

Kovilan died on 2 June 2010 in Kunnamkulam, aged 86.^[5]

Kovilan has written 4 novels—A Minus B (1958), Ezhamedangal (Army Wives, 1965), Thazhvarakal (The Valleys, 1969) and Himalayam—with military experiences as their background.

Thottangal (Incantations, 1970), the first post-service novel of the writer, narrates the delirious memories of an old woman in the night of her death whose life was shipwrecked turning the dreams of her childhood into nightmares.

His most popular novel was Thattakam (The Terrain, 1995).

Kovilan's first collection of short stories was Oru Palam Manayola (A Measure of Red Arsenic). This book was published in the year 1957. The story Tharavadu (Ancestral Home) is included in this collection. Kovilan's other collections of short stories include Ee Jeevitham Ananthamanu (1957), Orikkal Manushyanayirunnu (1960), Oru Kashanam Asthi (1961), Vendam Kadi (1969), Thervazhchakal (1971), Pitham (1971), Shakunam (1974), Adyathe Kathakal (1978), Sujatha (1979), Theranjedutha Kathakal (1980) and Kovilante Kathakal (1985). A tele-serial based on his novel Thottangal was beamed on Doordarshan. Some of his short stories also have been adapted for tele-screen.

According to one source, Kovilan's works contributed to transforming a community bogged down by conservatism to one that was progressive and socialist in outlook.^[6]

Poet and critic K. Satchidanandan notes:

He wrote pure prose, not poetic prose. In an era when prose writers revelled in poetic expressions, Kovilan wrote a prose that was plain and lean. Its beauty was raw and unadorned. Though Kovilan's works were initially categorised as Pattala Sahityam or soldier's writings, it was clear after the publication of Thattakam and Thottangal that they were more than that. Writers seek legends. Kovilan realised that there is a legend behind every man. He sought to document this. He explored the legends of his village. His stories bridged local and regional history.^[7]

• 1971: Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award (Novel) for Thottangal
• 1977: Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award (Story) for Sakunam
• 1995: Muttathu Varkey Award
• 1997: Kerala Sahitya Akademi Fellowship
• 1997: A. P. Kulakkad Award for Thattakam
• 1998: Kendra Sahitya Academy Award for Thattakam
• 1998: Kerala Sahitya Parishath Award for Thattakam
• 1999: Vayalar Award for Thattakam
• 1999: N. V. Prize for Thattakam
• 2004: Sahitya Akademi Fellowship
• 2006: Ezhuthachan Award
• 2008: Mathrubhumi Literary Award

• Dr. Ajayapuram Jyothishkumar, Kovilan Ezhuthu Desam Prathinidhanam, State Institute of Languages. A study on the writings of Kovilan

• http://www.dvaipayana.net/kovilan/ Kovilan Page at dvaipayana.net
• The International Kovilan Study Group
• Kovilan Trust
• A brief introduction to the novels of Kovilan
• Ballads of Rage: An introduction to the short stories by P. Radhakrishnan Nair (in English translation)
• Translation of Bharathan: A novel written by Kovilan (in seven chapters)
• Translation of Conch: A story written by Kovilan
• Translation of M/F: A story written by Kovilan
• Tales behind Thottangal (in English translation)
• An appreciation of Thottangal by A. Purushothaman (in Malayalam)
• When Kovilan constructs story: An appreciation of the story Conch by K. P. Appan (in English translation)
• A study of Thottangal by Dr. K. M. Tharakan (in English translation)
• Thottangal: A commentary in Malayalam by A. Purushothaman (in 15 chapters)
• A craft of his own (Frontline article)
• Annorikkal: Kovilan (Documentary by Manorama News)