K. Satchidanandan

K. Satchidanandan Biography

K. Satchidanandan is an accomplished writer and critic of Malayalam literature and one of the popular writers of the contemporary times. Apart from a critic, he is also known as an academician, editor, translator and playwright. He served as the executive head of the Sahitya Akademi during the period 1996 to 2006. His published works include 23 poetry collections, 16 poetry translations, 3 travelogues, 4 plays and 21 essay collections. He has translated poetry works from 17 languages.

Satchidanandan was born in 1946 in Pulloot, near Kodungallur of Thrissur district. He completed graduation in science from Christ College, Irinjalakuda and completed Masters in English from Maharajas College, Ernakulam. Then he completed PhD in Post-structuralism poetics from the University of Calicut. After studies he started his career as a teacher at his hometown and two years later moved to Christ College. He took voluntary retirement in 1992 to become the editor of ‘Indian Literature’. Currently he works as an editor of ‘Beyond Borders’, a journal of South Asian literature.

His first published work was a collection of essays titled Kurukshetram in 1970. His first poetry collection Anchusooryan, published in 1971 earned him quick recognition. He launched a journal titled Jwala the same year. After that he started translating poetry of different languages to Malayalam. He also had a brief stint in the leftist movement that swept Kerala in the 1970s and wrote poems criticizing Emergency period imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He also started Prasakthi Library, a publishing house soon after emergency period in 1978.

He is a recipient of Kerala Sahitya Akademi award 5 times apart from many prestigious awards. He won it for the works – Gandhi, Pala Lokam Pala Kaalam, Ivanekkoodi and Padinjaran Kavithakal in different categories. In 2012 he received Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award for Marannu Vecha Vasthukkal.

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Updated: June 16, 2014