Edasseri Govindan Nair was an Indian poet and playwright of Malayalam literature. Known as one of the major poets of Malayalam, Edasseri was a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Poetry. He was also a recipient of Asan Smaraka Kavitha Puraskaram, which was awarded posthumously.
Menacherry Poulose Paul (1904–1952) was an academic, educationist, scholar and literary critic of Malayalam. Considered by many as one of the major literary critics of Malayalam literature, Paul inaugurated comparative literature in Malayalam through his works, Novel Sahithyam and Cherukatha Prasthanam. He was the founder of parallel college education system in Kerala, one of the major forces behind the Purogamana Sahitya Prasthanam and was the founder president of Sahithya Pravrthaka Sahakarana Sangham, the writers' cooperative movement.
Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, popularly known as Thakazhi after his place of birth, was an Indian novelist and short story writer of Malayalam literature. He wrote over 30 novels and novellas and over 600 short stories focusing on the lives of the oppressed classes. Known for his works such as Kayar and Chemmeen, Pillai was a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, the third highest Indian civilian award. He was also a recipient of the Jnanpith, India's highest literary award, awarded in 1984 for the novel Kayar.
A. P. Udayabhanu was an Indian freedom fighter, politician, journalist, writer, and social activist from the state of Kerala.
Karoor Neelakanta Pillai was an Indian writer of Malayalam literature and one of the founders of Sahithya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society. Some of his works such as Poovan Pazham and Marappavakal are counted by many among the best short stories in Malayalam. He was a recipient of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Children's Literature in 1960, which he received for his work Anakkaran, and the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Story in 1969, which he received for his short story Mothiram.
Dominic Chacko Kizhakemuri was an Indian writer, activist, freedom-fighter and book publisher from Kerala. He founded the book publishing company known as DC Books.
Ponkunnam Varkey was a writer and activist from Kerala, India. Varkey was one of the pioneers of the progressive writers' forum and literary writers' co-operative in Kerala. He was the president of Kerala Sahitya Akademi and Sahithya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society.
Olappamanna Mana Subramanian Namboothirippad, better identified by his family name, Olappamanna , was an Indian poet of Malayalam literature. A former chairman of Kerala Kalamandalam and an author of 20 books of poetry, his poems were noted for their explicit social expressions. He received two awards from Kerala Sahitya Academy and another from Kendra Sahitya Academy, besides honours such as Government of Madras Poetry Prize, Odakkuzhal Award, N. V. Puraskaram, Asan Smaraka Kavitha Puraskaram and Ulloor Award.
Sankara Pillai Guptan Nair or S. Guptan Nair was an Indian scholar, academic, critic and writer of Malayalam literature.
Kainikkara Padmanabha Pillai (1898–1976), popularly identified as Swathithirunal Kainikkara Padmanabha Pillai after his magnum opus, Swathithirunal, was an Indian author of Malayalam literature, actor, speaker, teacher and thinker. He was known for his plays which dealt with themes such as patriotism, sacrifice and justice and his characters showed heroism, showing influence of William Shakespeare. Kerala Sahitya Akademi awarded him their annual award for drama in 1970. He was also a recipient of the Kalyani Krishna Menon Puraskaram.
Kainikkara Kumara Pillai (1900–1988) was an Indian teacher, actor, short story writer, essayist and playwright of Malayalam literature, best known for his plays such as Harichandra, Mathruka Manushyan and Mohavum, Mukhtiyum. He was the younger brother of Kainikkara Padmanabha Pillai, a noted author and thinker. An author of 18 books, Kumara Pillai was awarded the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Drama in 1970. The Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi inducted him as a distinguished fellow in 1975 followed by the Kerala Sahitya Akademi in 1986.
George Onakkoor is an Indian novelist who writes in Malayalam language. He was a Malayalam professor for over three decades at Mar Ivanios College, Trivandrum, Kerala.
Parakkulathil Vatsala was an Indian Malayalam novelist, short story writer, and social activist from Kerala. She is a recipient of Ezhuthachan Puraskaram 2021, the highest literary honour by the government of Kerala. She is only the fifth woman to receive the award since its institution in 1993.
Joseph Raphael, better identified as Ponjikkara Rafi, was an Indian essayist, playwright, short story writer and a novelist of Malayalam literature. His oeuvre consists of short story anthologies, novels, philosophical works and screenplays but he is best remembered for two novels, Daivadhoothan, regarded as the first Malayalam novel written in stream of consciousness narrative style, and Ora Pro Nobis, a historical novel based on the Dutch colonial rule. He was also the author of Kaliyugam, a philosophical work jointly written with his wife, Sabeena Rafi, which fetched him the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Miscellaneous Works in 1972.
Chakkalakal Lonappan Jose, is an Indian playwright of Malayalam literature. One of the pioneers of popular Malayalam theatre and a former chairman of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi, Jose is the author of 36 plays, 75 one-act plays, one children's play and Ormakalkku Urakkamilla, his autobiography. He is a recipient of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Drama, Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Overall Contributions, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship and S. L. Puram Sadanandan Puraskaram of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi.
T. N. Gopinathan Nair, was an Indian dramatist, novelist, poet, screenwriter and biographer of Malayalam language. One of the prolific among Malayalam playwrights, Nair published 39 plays, besides his four novels, four poetry anthologies and five biographies. He was a member of the council of Kerala Sahitya Akademi and held the char of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi. His drama, Pareeksha, received the Vikraman Nair Trophy for the best drama and the Kerala Sahitya Akademi selected his work, Sakshi, for their annual award for drama in 1979.
Pirappancode Murali is a noted poet, lyricist, playwright, library activist and politician from Kerala, India. He represented Vamanapuram constituency in 10th (1996) and 11th (2001) Kerala Legislative Assemblies. He wrote lyrics for over fifty plays and wrote ten plays. He was one of the founders of theater troupe Sangha Chetana. He got many awards including Government of Kerala Award for Best Lyricist and Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Best Playwright.
Sharada, the second Malayalam women's magazines to be published in Kerala, was started in November 1904 from Thripunithura, Kochi. Sharada was edited by B. Kalyani Amma, T.C. Kalyani Amma and T. Ammukutty Amma. It was the first women's magazine to be edited by women in Kerala. K. Narayana Menon was the owner of the magazine and it was printed at Bharathi Vilasam Press.
Aswathy Sasikumar is a Malayalam language short story writer from Kerala, India. Her first short story collection Josephinte Manam has won the 2017 Yuva Puraskar and the 2015 Kerala Sahitya Akademi Geetha Hiranyan Endowment. She has also received several other awards including Vaikkom Muhammad Basheer Awardand EP Sushama Ankanam Award.
Noonhil Vadakkemadathil Padmanabhan Unithiri is a multilingual scholar, author, researcher, poet, progressive thinker, translator and teacher from Kerala, India. He has authored around 200 books in Sanskrit, Malayalam and English languages including translated works.
