Kamala Surayya

Kamala Surayya Biography

Kamala Surayya, formerly known as Kamala Das was one of the leading writers of Malayalam. Her pen name is Madhavi Kutty. She was a major English poet as well as a leading novelist and short story writer of Malayalam. She is one among those lucky and rare writers of India who has been nominated and shortlisted for Nobel Prize for Literature and it happened in 1984. She was the most popular female writer of Malayalam during 20^th century famous for her works – Nashtapetta Neelambari, Neermathalam Pootha Kalam and Ente Kadha. Her short stories and novels are equally famous and she was one among those rarest gems who has a distinct finger print in Indian literature. She was equally famous in English as in Malayalam and was one among the most popular writers since 1960’s. Her English works has won many international awards of which Asian awards and Kent’s awards are most popular. She was born in a conservative Hindu Nair family. Later in 1999, she accepted Islam and changed her name to Kamala Surayya at the age of 65. Her conversion was rather controversial, among social and literary circles. But according to her personal opinion, she was secure behind the black veil.

Her popular Malayalam works are Pakshiyude Manam, Naricheerukal Parakkumbol, Neermathalam Pootha Kalam, Madhavikkuttiyude Unmakkadhakal, Vandikkalakal, Palayan, Balyakala Smaranakal, Varshangalkku Mumbu, Chandana Marangal, Neypayasam, Dayarikkurippukal and Chekkerunna Pakshikal.  Her major English works include The Sirens for which she Asian Poetry Prize in 1965 and Summer in Calcutta for which she won Kent's Award in the following year. Her other English works are Yaa Allah, Only the Soul Knows How to Sing, Tonight, The Descendants, This Savage Rite (with Pritish Nandy), My Mother At Sixty-six, My Grandmother House, Padmavati the Harlot and Other Stories, The Anamalai Poems, Alphabet of Lust, My Story (autobiography) and The Old Playhouse and Other Poems.

Apart from being nominated for Nobel Prize, she has won many awards and designations as well. Kerala Sahitya Academy Award in 1969 for Thanuppu, Sahitya Academy Award – 1985, Honorary D.Litt by University of Calicut – 2006, Ezhuthachan Puraskaram – 2009, Muttathu Varkey Award – 2006 and above all Award of Asian PEN anthology – 1964.

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Updated: October 21, 2013