Ponkunnam Varkey

Ponkunnam Varkey Biography

Ponkunnam Varkey was a writer and activist from Kerala. He has contributed 120 short stories and 16 plays to Malayalam literature and his social relevant works are really powerful. His stories heightened the values of freedom and democracy and through his works he fought against social evils of society. He was one of the pioneers of the progressive writers' forum and literary writers' co-operative in Kerala. He has served as the president of Sahithya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society and Kerala Sahitya Akademi. He was the secretary of Purogamana Kala Sahitya Sangham for 5 years. In 1997, he was given Ezhuthachan Puraskaram for his contributions to Malayalam literature. Varkey has also written a few film scripts and produced a couple of films.

Varkey was born on July 1, 1910 in Edathuva of Alappuzha district. After his father's death Varkey went to his mother's house at Ponkunnam of Kottayam. He was influenced by Indian freedom struggle during his school days and it served as his greatest inspiration to write poems during that time. He worked as a teacher at different schools; Vernacular Middle School in Pampady in 1942 was the last one. He left his job and involved in freedom struggle. In those days he got attracted to Communist party of India.

Varkey entered the literary field in 1939 with Thirumulkazhcha which received positive reviews from critics. It won the award of the Madras government in 1939. As he noted that pen is the most powerful medium to express his views, he used it as the weapon against the injustice that existed in the society then, which brought opposition from Diwan. His short stories Manthrikkettu and Model were banned in 1946 by Travancore kingdom and he got imprisonment for 6 months too. In 1944, Varkey started the National Book Stall, but later it became a failure and got merged with Sahithya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society.

A few of his popular short stories include – Aniyara, Vikarasadanam, Veliyil Enikku Sthalamilla, Nattuvelicham and Daivathekkal Njan pedikkunnathu. His popular plays are Visarikku Kattu Venda, Njan oradhikappattanu, wargam Nanikunnu, Kathirukanakkili and Ente Vazhithirivu. He died on July 2, 2004 aged 94.

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Updated: October 23, 2013