Kovilan
Kovilan
Indian writer
Kandanisseri Vattamparambil Velappan Ayyappan (9 July 1923 – 2 June 2010) or V. V. Ayyappan, better known by his pen name Kovilan, was an Indian Malayalam language novelist and freedom fighter from Kerala. 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.
V. V. Ayyapan | |
|---|---|
| Born | Kandanissery Vattamparambil Velappan Ayyappan (1923-07-09)9 July 1923 Kandanassery, Guruvayur, Thrissur, Kingdom of Cochin, British India |
| Died | 2 June 2010(2010-06-02) (aged 86) Kunnamkulam, Thrissur, Kerala, India |
| 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 1972 Thottangal Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award 2005 |
He won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 1972 and 1977 and the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award in 1998. He was also a recipient of the Kerala state government's highest literary honour Ezhuthachan Puraskaram in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Malayalam literature.[2] He had been a Fellow of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi since 1997 and Sahitya Akademi since 2005.[1][3]
Early years
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]
Military life
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.
Death
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
|
Novels
| 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
| Title | Title in English | Year | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board Out | 1936 | Current Books, Thrissur | |
| Tharavadu | The Ancestral Home | 1963 | Current Books, Thrissur |
Short stories
| 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
| Title | Title in English | Year | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ninte Viswasam Ninne Poruppikkum | Your Faith Ensures What Happens to You | 1957 | Current Books, Thrissur |
Miscellaneous writings
- "Nirmal Verma, Kovilan elected Sahitya Academy Fellows". The Hindu. 17 February 2005. Archived from the original on 17 February 2005. Retrieved 15 November 2009.
- "Ezhuthachan Puraskaram presented to writer Kovilan". The Hindu. 29 January 2007. Archived from the original on 22 October 2009. Retrieved 15 November 2009.
- "A moment of honour for writer-patriarch Kovilan". The Hindu. 3 May 2005. Archived from the original on 6 May 2005. Retrieved 15 November 2009.
- "Nirmal Verma, Kovilan elected Sahitya Akademi Fellows". The Hindu. 17 February 2005. Archived from the original on 17 February 2005. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
- "Noted novelist Kovilan passes away". Mathrubhumi. 2 June 2010. Archived from the original on 6 June 2010. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
- "A staunch votary of labour class". The New Indian Express. 3 June 2010. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
- "Kovilan a master of pure prose". The Hindu. 10 July 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
- 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)