Thiruvananthapuram: Thattakam, the novel that brought out the essence of story telling in Malayalam, has won the N V Krishna Warrier Literary Award for its author V V Ayyappan, more popularly known by his pen-name Kovilan.
Announcing the award, N V Krishna Warrier Memorial Trust secretary K V Ramakrishnan said Thattakam (A Delineated Place) was selected as the best Malayalam novel to have come out in the past 10 years. The novel had won the Sahitya Akademi award, one of India's most prestigious literary awards, last year. The Krishna Warrier award consists of a cash prize of Rs 25,025 ($581, $1=Rs 43), a citation and a memento. It will be presented to the 76-year-old Kovilan during the memorial convention on October 9 and 10 at Thrippunithura in Ernakulam district in connection with Krishna Warrier's 10th death anniversary. A literary seminar and a poet's conference are also slated to take place during the convention. Warrier, also an Akademi award winner, was the author of such eminent poetical works like Kalidasante Simhasanam (The Throne of Kalidasa), Gandhiyum Godseyum (Gandhi and Godse) and Kavya Kaudukam (Curiosity of Poetry). The judge's committee, comprising S K Vasanthan, Vaishakhan and E P Rajagopalan, said Thattakam stood out for its typical Kerala ambience and a style that was both gripping and exhilarating. The judges also considered the overall contribution of the author to Malayalam literature with special reference to the way he embellished the novel as an art form. Kovilan has authored 21 books, 10 short stories and nine novels. Among them are Bharatham, Janmandarangal, Kovilante Kathakal and Thottangal. Through his works Kovilan, who had served in the Royal Indian Navy under British colonial rule and the post-independence Indian Army till 1968, had brought out the essential goodness in man. Kovilan's novels have a special place in the hearts of those who can understand and sympathise with sorrow and suffering, the judges' panel noted.