K P Ramanunni
“K.P. Ramanunni was born in Culcutta where his father, Sri. P. Damodaran Nair was an officer in the State Bank of India. After the untimely demise of his father when Ramanunni was just three and half years old, his mother Smt. Janaki D. Nair moved to Ponnani, their ancestral village in Malabar, Kerala.
After completing High School education in Ponnani, he took his Masters Degree in English in Mysore University.
He worked in the State Bank of India for 21 years and retired voluntary as Asst. Manager to seek a life that would allow him greater freedom for creative work. After the long years in the bank Ramanunni had a one year tenure as the magazine editor and 20 years tenure as administrator of Thunchan Memorial Trust. Presently he is working as the Adjunct Professor Malayalam University, Tirur, Kerala.
His short stories which appeared in various leading Malayalam journals have been published in sixteen collections. His very first short story Chavasamskaram won the Prize for the best Short story from Samastha Kerala Sahitya Parishad. Another Short Story Mukalakshanam was awarded the V.P. Sivakumar Smaraka Keli Award. The Shrot Story Jati Chodikuka won the Padmarajan Puraskaram and Katha award, New Delhi. The Short Story Manushyan Mrugam Eniganne was awarded Bahrain Keraleya Samajam Prize. Short story named Kattu Raghavan won Kairali award. His collection of short stories Purusha Vilapam won Abudabi Sakthi Award and the collection of Short Stories Jadhi Chodikukka won Kalakkad Award. His selected Short Story collection has bagged C.V. Sreeraman Award of 2009 & T.V. Kochubava Award of 2009. O.V. Vijayan award was won by his short story collections Haidavam and Shareeradooram, and the S.K. Pottekkatt award was won by Haidavam
Ramanunni’s very first novel Sufi Paranja Katha won the two most prestigious awards for Malayalam Literature – The Kerala Sahitya Akademi award and the Edassery award.
Sufi Paranja Katha has been translated to 10 languages- English, French, Arabic, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannda, Konkani and Maithili. The Hindi, Kannada and Maithili versions were published by Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi. After reading the English version of the novel – What the Sufi Said, a French Philologist Mr. Luc Roger invited Ramanunni to Europe for the translation of the novel to French. In 2008 Edition Kailash, Paris has brought out the French version of ‘Sufi Paranja Katha’ as ‘Tharavad, ce que disait le Soufi’ and it was well accepted in the French speaking countries of the world.
Sufi Paranja Katha is also made into a feature film directed by the National award winner Sri. Priyanandanan.
Oxford University Press published his second novel, Charamavarshikam in English.
Ramanunni’s third novel ‘Jeevithathinte Pusthakam’ has won Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad National award and Malayattoor Award. In 2011 Jevithathinte Pustakam’ won Vayalar award, the most prestigious literary award of Kerala. Jeevithathinte Pustakam has been published in Hindi by Sasta Sahitya Mandal, New Delhi.
His latest novel ‘Daivathinte pustakam’ has won Abudabi Sakthi award, Sabbhavana Award and Basheer Puraskaram and Asgar Ali engineer National award. In 2017, Daivathinte Pusthakam bagged the distinguished National literary award of Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi.
National Awards :
Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi National Award for Novel – Daivathinte Pustakam
Bharatiya Bhasha Parisad National Award for Novel – Jeevithathinte Pustakam
Asgar Ali Engineer National Award for Novel- Daivathinte Pustakam
Ramanunni has participated in many National and International Literary Seminars. As a senior fiction writer in Malayalam he has represented the language in the international Katha Seminar in New Delhi.
He has visited America three times on invitation from Federation of Kerala Associations in North America. He has also visited England, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Abudhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Thailand, Iraq, Jordhan, Egypt, Palestine, Israel and Singapore on invitation from different Malayalee organizations.
K.P. Ramanunni was the member of writers’ delegation sent to China and Frankfurt book fair by Kendra Sahitya Akademi in 2007.
K.P. Ramanunni is the Malayalam Convener and Executive board member of Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi. He is an Executive committee member of Kerala Sahitya Akademi and Senate member of Malayalam University.
Ramanunni is an activist working in the field of Mother tongue movement.
Published works
Novels
1. Sufi Paranja Katha
2. Charamavarshikam
3. Jeevithathinte pustakam
4. Daivathinte pustakam
Collection of Short Stories
1. Vidathavinte Chiri
2. Vendapetavante Kurissu
3. Purushavilapam
4. Jathi Chodikuka
5. Kurks
6. Pranayaparvam
7. Aval Mozhiyukayanu
8. Selected Short Stories of K.P. Ramanunni
9. Prakasam parathunna Aankutti
10. Tandapra theyyam
11. Entrance Ezhuthunna kutty (Balasahityam)
12. Priyappetta Kathakal
13. Fokso
14. Grama Kadhakal
15. Shareeradooram
16. Haindavam
17. Edasserikkaru
18. Sufi Paranja Kadha ( Thirekkdha)
Collection of Essays
1. Kriminal Kuttamakunna Rathi
2. Sirshasanam
3. Anubhavam, Orma, Yathra
4. Jeevitham Oru Arthikarante Kayyil
5. Oru viswasiyude Mathethara Chinthakal
6. Manas Malayalam
7. Priyappetta Hindukkalodum Muslimgalodum Oru Viswasi”
