Kovilan
V. V. Ayyapan | |
---|---|
Born | Kandanissery Vattamparambil Velappan Ayyappan 9 July 1923 Kandanassery,Guruvayur,Thrissur,Kingdom of Cochin,British India |
Died | 2 June 2010 Kunnamkulam,Thrissur,Kerala,India | (aged 86)
Pen name | Kovilan |
Occupation | Writer, soldier,freedom fighter |
Language | Malayalam |
Nationality | Indian |
Citizenship | Indian |
Alma mater | Kandanisseri Excelsior School
Nenmini Higher Elementary School Sahitya Deepika Sanskrit College at Pavaratty |
Genre | Novel, short story, essay |
Notable works | Ezhamedangal,Thottangal,Thattakam |
Notable awards | Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award 1972Thottangal Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award 2005 |
Kandanisseri Vattamparambil Velappan Ayyappan(9 July 1923 – 2 June 2010) orV. V. Ayyappan,better known by hispen nameKovilan,was an IndianMalayalam languagenovelist and freedom fighter fromKerala.He is considered one of the most prolific writers of contemporary Indian literature.[1]In all, he had authored 11 novels, 10 collections of short stories, three essays and a play.
He won theKerala Sahitya Akademi Awardin 1972 and 1977 and theKendra Sahitya Akademi Awardin 1998. He was also a recipient of theKeralastate government's highest literary honourEzhuthachan Puraskaramin recognition of his outstanding contribution toMalayalam literature.[2]He had been a Fellow of theKerala Sahitya Akademisince 1997 andSahitya Akademisince 2005.[1][3]
Life
[edit]Early years
[edit]Kovilan was born in Kandanassery inGuruvayur,Thrissurto 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 ofK. P. Narayana Pisharody,P. C. Vasudevan Elayathu,M. P. Sankunni Nair,Cherukaduand Srikrishna Sharma. Even as a student, he had shown interest in writing poems and stories.[citation needed]
A follower ofMahatma Gandhi,Kovilan left the Sanskrit College to participate in theQuit 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]
Military life
[edit]He joined theRoyal Indian Navyin 1943 and was trained in Anti-submarine Detecting Operations.[citation needed]He served in Bengal sea,Burmaand Singapore. He quit following theRoyal Indian Navy mutinyof 1946 and returned home. While back in Kerala, Kovilan maintained a close friendship withVaikom Muhammed Basheer,Joseph Mundasseryand C. J. Thomas. He also took part in the trade union movements. In 1948 he passedSSLCand worked for a while as astenographerfor Joseph Mundassery. In 1948, he joined theIndian Army Corps of Signalsas Radio Mechanic.[4]He also specialised in electronics. For five years he lived in theHimalayas.While in army, he came in contact with soldier-turned-writersParappurathandNandanar.He also worked asNational Cadet Corpstraining officer at theIndian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.He retired from theIndian Armyin 1968 asHavildarMajor and settled down at Pullanikunnu at Kandanassery.
Death
[edit]Kovilan died on 2 June 2010 inKunnamkulam,aged 86.[5]
Writings
[edit]Kovilan has written 4 novels—A Minus B(1958),Ezhamedangal(Army Wives, 1965),Thazhvarakal(The Valleys, 1969) andHimalayam—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 wasThattakam(The Terrain, 1995).
Kovilan's first collection of short stories wasOru Palam Manayola(A Measure of Red Arsenic). This book was published in the year 1957. The storyTharavadu(Ancestral Home) is included in this collection. Kovilan's other collections of short stories includeEe 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) andKovilante Kathakal(1985). A tele-serial based on his novelThottangalwas beamed onDoordarshan.Some of his short stories also have been adapted for tele-screen.
Style and recurring themes
[edit]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 criticK. Satchidanandannotes:
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 asPattala Sahityamor soldier's writings, it was clear after the publication ofThattakamandThottangalthat 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]
Awards
[edit]- 1971:Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award(Novel) forThottangal
- 1977:Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award(Story) forSakunam
- 1995:Muttathu Varkey Award
- 1997:Kerala Sahitya AkademiFellowship
- 1997: A. P. Kulakkad Award forThattakam
- 1998:Kendra Sahitya Academy AwardforThattakam
- 1998: Kerala Sahitya Parishath Award forThattakam
- 1999:Vayalar AwardforThattakam
- 1999: N. V. Prize forThattakam
- 2004:Sahitya Akademi Fellowship
- 2006:Ezhuthachan Award
- 2008:Mathrubhumi Literary Award
Bibliography
[edit]Novels
[edit]Title | Title in English | Year | Publisher |
---|---|---|---|
Thakarnna Hridayangal | Broken Hearts | 1946 | Arunodayam Press,Vadakkencherry |
A Minus B | 1958 | Current Books,Thrissur | |
Ezhamedangal | Army Wives | 1965 | Current Books, Thrissur |
Thazhvarakal | The Valleys | 1969 | Current Books, Thrissur |
Thottanngal | Incantations | 1970 | Current Books, Thrissur |
Himalayam | The Himalayas | 1972 | Current Books, Thrissur |
Bharathan | 1976 | Poorna Publications,Calicut | |
Janmantharanngal | Through Many Births | 1982 | Sahithya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society,Kottayam |
Thattakam | The Terrain | 1995 | Current Books, Thrissur |
Novelettes
[edit]Title | Title in English | Year | Publisher |
---|---|---|---|
Board Out | 1936 | Current Books,Thrissur | |
Tharavadu | The Ancestral Home | 1963 | Current Books, Thrissur |
Short stories
[edit]Title | Title in English | Year | Publisher |
---|---|---|---|
Oru Palam Manayola | A Measure of Red Arsenic | 1957 | Current Books,Thrissur |
Ee Jeevitham Anadhamanu | This Life is Orphaned | 1957 | Current Books, Thrissur |
Orikkal Manushyanayirunnu | Once a Man I was... | 1960 | Current Books, Thrissur |
Oru Kashanam Asthi | A Piece of Bone | 1961 | Current Books, Thrissur |
Vendamkadi | The Unwanted | 1969 | Current Books, Thrissur |
Thervazchakal | Apparitions | 1971 | Current Books, Thrissur |
Pitham | The Bilious Child | 1971 | Current Books, Thrissur |
Sujatha | 1971 | Poorna Publications,Calicut | |
Sakunam | The Omen | 1974 | Sahithya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society,Kottayam |
Adyathe Kathakal | Stories of Early Days | 1978 | Sahithya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society, Kottayam |
Theranjedutha Kathakal | Selected Stories | 1980 | Sahithya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society, Kottayam |
Kovilante Kathakal | Stories of Kovilan | 1985 | Current Books, Thrissur |
Suvarna Kathakal | Golden Stories | 2002 | Green Books, Thrissur |
Ente Priyappetta Kathakal | My Favourite Stories | 2003 | DC Books,Kottayam |
Play
[edit]Title | Title in English | Year | Publisher |
---|---|---|---|
Ninte Viswasam Ninne Poruppikkum | Your Faith Ensures What Happens to You | 1957 | Current Books,Thrissur |
Miscellaneous writings
[edit]Title | Title in English | Year | Publisher |
---|---|---|---|
Kovilante Lekhanangal | Essays of Kovilan | 1984 | Sikha Publications,Calicut |
Kathayum Kathakalum | Stories Behind the Stories | 1957 | Poorna Publications,Calicut |
Athmabhavangal | Self Reflections | 1995 | Jwala, Ariyannur,Thrissur |
References
[edit]- ^ab"Nirmal Verma, Kovilan elected Sahitya Academy Fellows".The Hindu.17 February 2005. Archived fromthe originalon 17 February 2005.Retrieved15 November2009.
- ^"Ezhuthachan Puraskaram presented to writer Kovilan".The Hindu.29 January 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 22 October 2009.Retrieved15 November2009.
- ^"A moment of honour for writer-patriarch Kovilan".The Hindu.3 May 2005. Archived fromthe originalon 6 May 2005.Retrieved15 November2009.
- ^"Nirmal Verma, Kovilan elected Sahitya Akademi Fellows".The Hindu.17 February 2005. Archived fromthe originalon 17 February 2005.Retrieved30 October2011.
- ^"Noted novelist Kovilan passes away".Mathrubhumi.2 June 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 6 June 2010.Retrieved2 June2010.
- ^"A staunch votary of labour class".The New Indian Express.3 June 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2016.Retrieved3 July2013.
- ^"Kovilan a master of pure prose".The Hindu.10 July 2012.Retrieved3 July2013.
Further reading
[edit]- Dr. Ajayapuram Jyothishkumar, Kovilan Ezhuthu Desam Prathinidhanam, State Institute of Languages. A study on the writings of Kovilan
External links
[edit]- http:// 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(Frontlinearticle)
- Annorikkal: Kovilan(Documentary byManorama News)
- 1923 births
- 2010 deaths
- Respiratory disease deaths in India
- Writers from Thrissur
- Malayalam-language novelists
- Recipients of the Ezhuthachan Award
- Recipients of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award
- Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Malayalam
- 20th-century Indian novelists
- Novelists from Kerala
- People from Guruvayur