Madath Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair, popularly known as MT, is an Indian author, screenplay writer and film director. He is a prolific and versatile writer in modern Malayalam literature, and is one of the masters of post-Independence Indian literature. He was born in Kudallur, a small village in the present day Pattambi Taluk, Palakkad district (Palghat), which was under the Malabar District in the Madras Presidency of the British Raj. He shot into fame at the age of 20 when, as a chemistry undergraduate, he won the prize for the best short story in Malayalam at World Short Story Competition conducted by The New York Herald Tribune. His debut novel Naalukettu, wrote at the age of 23, won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 1958. His other novels include Manju (Mist), Kaalam (Time), Asuravithu and Randamoozham. The deep emotional experiences of his early days have gone into the making of MT's novels. Most of his works are oriented towards the basic Malayalam family structure and culture and many of them were path-breaking in the history of Malayalam literature. His three seminal novels on life in the matriarchal family in Kerala are Naalukettu, Asuravithu, and Kaalam. Randamoozham, which retells the story of the Mahabharatha from the point of view of Bhimasena, is widely credited as his masterpiece.
Maniyambath Mukundan, commonly known as M. Mukundan, is an Indian writer of Malayalam literature. Many of his early works are set in Mayyazhi which has earned him the moniker, Mayyazhiyude Kathakaaran. He is known to be one of the pioneers of modernity in Malayalam literature and Mayyazhippuzhayude Theerangalil, Daivathinte Vikrithikal, Kesavante Vilapangal and Pravasam are some of his notable works. He has received many honours including Vayalar Award, Sahitya Akademi Award, Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award. Crossword Book Award and the Ezhuthachan Puraskaram, the highest literacy honour of the Government of Kerala. He is also a recipient of the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres of the Government of France.
Moolayil Narayana Menon Vijayan, popularly known as Vijayan Mash was an Indian academic, orator, columnist and writer of Malayalam literature. Known for his leftist ideals and oratorical skills, Vijayan was the president of the Purogamana Kala Sahitya Sangham and served as the editor of Deshabhimani. He published a number of books of which Chithayile Velicham received the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Literary Criticism in 1982.
Kozhikode Abdul Kader was an Indian playback singer who was active in Malayalam cinema during the 1950s. He had sung for eight films and many dramas. One of his most popular songs is "Engane Nee Marakkum Kuyile" from the 1954 film Neelakuyil.
Thachom Poyil Rajeevan, also known as T P Rajeevan, is an Indian novelist and poet who writes in Malayalam and English languages. In English, he has published a novel, and two poetry collections. He has also edited an anthology of poems with Croatian poet, Lana Derkac. His published works in Malayalam include: two novels ; six poetry collections ; a travelogue ; and an essay collection .,, Both of his novels in Malayalam were made into films. Rajeevan was awarded the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for his novel KTN Kottor: Ezhuthum Jeevithavum, in 2014. He is also a recipient of the Madras Malayalee Samajam Award and K. Surendran Award.
Mamukkoya is an Indian film actor who works in Malayalam cinema, mostly appeared in comedic roles. His unique usage of the Mappila dialect and style marks his presence in the industry. Mamukkoya has acted in more than 450 Malayalam films and is the first winner of the State award for Best Comedian in Malayalam cinema.
P. Kunjanandan Nair, better known by his pen name Thikodiyan was a Malayalam author. He was born in Thikkodi, a small village in Kozhikode district, in the Indian state of Kerala, after which he took his pen name.
Subhash Chandran is a Malayalam novelist, short story writer and journalist best known for the 2010 novel Manushyanu Oru Aamukham. He is one of the most read young writers in contemporary Malayalam literature. His stories "Vadhakramam", "Sanmargam", "Parudeesa Nashtam" and "Guptham" have been adapted into films. He is the only writer to get Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for both his debut story collection (2001) and debut novel (2011). He is also a recipient of Sahitya Akademi Award, Odakkuzhal Award and Vayalar Award.
N.P Sajeesh is a writer, journalist and film critic.
Akbar Kakkattil was an Indian short-story writer and novelist from Kerala state. His works are known for their unique narrative style which has an undertone of unfailing humour. Besides, the tales that he wrote centred on teachers and their foibles gave birth to a new genre in Malayalam literature. His 'Paadham 30' is the first teacher service story in Malayalam. His work, 'Sarga Sameeksha', a creative and critical interface of a young writer with the iconic writers of the old generation is perhaps the first of its kind among Indian languages.
Venkiteswaran Chittur Subramanian is an Indian film critic, professor, documentary film maker and writer from Chalakudi, Kerala, India, who writes predominantly in English and Malayalam. He won the National Film Award for Best Film Critic in 2009.
Thoniyan Puthiyapurayil Shihabuddin, better known as Shihabuddin Poythumkadavu or Shihabuddin Poithumkadavu ,(Malayalam: ശിഹാബുദ്ദീൻ പൊയ്ത്തുംകടവ്; born 29 October 1963) is an Indian writer, journalist, poet, orator and television personality. He is a creative writer in Malayalam who has been writing short stories, novellas, novels, essays and poems since 1982. His works have appeared in all leading Malayalam magazines viz. Mathrubhumi weekly, Malayala Manorama annuals, India Today, Bhashaposhini, Kerala Kaumudi and the Samakalika Malayalam weekly. Most of his books have run into multiple editions with the sales of each book crossing around 10,000 copies. His stories have been prescribed by the Kerala State Education Board, University of Calicut, Mahatma Gandhi University and Kerala University as text books. He has also been translated to English, Hindi, Tamil and Arabic. He has been felicitated with awards several times by organizations such as the Kerala Sahitya Akademi, various other literary and cultural societies in India and abroad. He has scripted and directed many tele-films and serials, for Doordarshan, Asianet and Surya TV, including the script for one of the first mega serials in the Malayalam television, Kasavu. As a literary journalist, Shihabuddin has associated with three major weeklies: Poonkavanam (Kozhikode), Pravaasachandrika (Dubai) and Gulf Life in the capacity of editor and chief editor. He has traveled extensively in Middle Eastern countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain, accepting the invitation of Malayali literary and cultural organizations. He was the Chief Programme Designer, Rahma Television Productions, in Kozhikode. Now Shihabuddin is working as periodical editor of Chandrika daily, in Kozhikode. His essay collection titled "Marujeevitham" that based on the Middle East diaspora published in 2014 had received well. Shihabuddin Poythumkadavu's books were translated into Arabic,Kannada,Tamil, Telugu, French and English. "Yarrikkum vendatha kan" his exclusive Tamil collection of short stories Translated by KV Shylaja, published by vamshi books, tiruvannamalai. Shihabuddin Poythumkadavu was born on 29 October 1963 at Poythumkadavu near Valapattanam in Kannur district, Kerala. He is married to Najma, now working in a Government Higher Secondary School near Pattambi as an English teacher, and the couple has 4 children. He has resided in Kunnamkulam, Thrissur district since 2000.
Kallen Pokkudan, also known as Kandal Pokkudan, was an Indian environmental activist and writer from Kerala. He was known for his efforts for the protection and proliferation of the mangrove forests in Kerala, since 1989.
Bhagyalakshmi is a leading dubbing artist, actress and an activist. She works primarily in Malayalam Film Industry. She has a dubbed for more than 2000 films in Malayalam cinema. She mostly dubbed for Actress Shobana.
K. Appukuttan Nair (1925–2007), better known as Kozhikodan, was a film critic and writer from Kerala, India. One of the first critics to take a closer look at the mainstream Malayalam cinema, he reviewed about 2,000 Malayalam films over four decades. He began writing on films from the early 1950s. He started writing in Mathrubhumi and Chandrika, and later became a regular columnist of Mathrubhumi Illustrated Weekly along with Cynic and Nadirsha. The trio is said to have elevated film criticism into a serious genre of writing in Malayalam. Kozhikodan received the Kerala State Film Award for Best Book on Cinema in 1988 for Chalathitraswadanam Engane? and the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award (Humour) in 2010 for the poetry collection Padachonikku Salam. He died on 20 January 2007.
Poovankery Francis Mathew is an Indian author of Malayalam literature and a screenplay writer in Malayalam film and Television industries. A Winner of a National Film Award for Best Screenplay and multiple State television and other literary awards, he is known for his original style of writing. Literary works such as Iruttil Oru Punyalan, Chaavunilam, Njayarazhcha Mazha Peyyukayayirunnu, Jalakanyakayum Gandarvanum and 2004il Alice and screen plays which include Sararaanthal, Mikhayelinte Santhathikal, Megham, Kutty Srank and Ee.Ma.Yau are some of his notable works.
Sundarikalum Sundaranmarum is a 1958 Malayalam novel written by Uroob. Sundarikalum Sundaranmarum along with Ummachu are considered the best works by Uroob and are ranked among the finest novels in Malayalam.
C.S. Chandrika is a Malayali novelist, feminist and academic. She currently works as Principal Scientist at Community Agro-biodiversity Centre of M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF).
N. Prabhakaran is a noted short story writer, novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, educationist, editor and columnist in Malayalam. 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 childhood at Madayi. 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.
E. M. Ashraf is a Malayalam writer, film critic and journalist. He is currently the director of Middle East, Kairali TV. He has written numerous books and articles in Malayalam language, most notably the biographies of veteran Malayalam writers Vaikom Muhammad Basheer and Sukumar Azhikode. His interview with late Indian painter M. F. Husain was published in Malayalam and later translated into Arabic and English.
