Malayalam writer MT Vasudevan Nair dies at 91

MT Vasudevan Nair, one of the most prominent figures in Malayalam literature, died in Kerala’s Kozhikode on Wednesday, The Hindu reported. He was 91.

Nair was undergoing medical treatment after suffering a cardiac arrest earlier in December.

The Kerala government has declared two-day state mourning.

Nair was born in Kudallur village in Palakkad district. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, Nair worked as a school teacher.

Nair started contributing to prominent Malayalam literary magazines in the 1950s, according to The Hindu. At 20, he won a prize for the best short story in Malayalam at the World Short Story Competition held by The New York Herald Tribune.

In 1956, he moved to Kozhikode and joined the Mathrubhumi literary magazine. Nair was appointed as the magazine’s editor in 1965, a position he held until 1981, according to The Indian Express.

He was also the president of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi and chairperson of the Thunchan Memorial Trust and Research Centre.

In 1959, Nair’s debut novel, Naalukettu. won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award. He was 23 years old at the time.

Over the next three decades, he published several prominent literary works, including Asuravithu, Manju, Randamoozham and Iruttinte Athmavu. His last novel, Varanasi, was published in 2002.

One of his works, Kaalam, also won the Kendra Sahitya Akademi prize in 1969.

Nair also left an indelible mark on Malayalam films. He directed seven films and wrote 45 scripts. He penned his...

Read more