K. P. Ramanunni

K.P. Ramanunni was born in 1955 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. Wife – Raji, daughter- Sridevi Ramanunni. His school education was in AV High School, Ponnani. He graduated in English literature from Malabar Christian College, Calicut and took his Masters Degree in English in Mysore University. He worked as assistant Manager in SBI and took voluntary retirement from his service to fully engage in literary works. After the long years in the bank Ramanunni had a one year tenure as the magazine editor of Madhyamam weekly. He served Thunchan Memorial Trust,Tirur as Administrator for 22 years. Presently he is the Adjunct Professor of Thunchat Ezhuchachan Malayalam University, Tirur. He lives at Poovattuparmbu, Calicut.

Ramanunni’s very first novel Sufi Paranja Katha won two prestigious awards for Malayalam Literature - The Kerala Sahitya Akademi award and the Edassery award. Sufi Paranja Katha has been translated to nine languages - English, French, Arabic, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Konkani and Bengali. The Hindi and Kannada 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.

His debut novel Sufi Paranja Katha (What the Sufi Said) was serialised in Kalakaumudi weekly with the accompaniment of illustrations by the acclaimed Artist Namboothiri. It was published as a book in 1990. Its story revolves around the love and marriage between Mamootty, a Muslim and Karthy, a Nair Hindu. Though converted to Islam, Karthy is unable to resist the primeval tug of her original religion. The novel speaks about religious feelings and relationships and the mystic reach of these aspects. Sufi Paranja Katha has been translated to nine languages - English, French, Arabic, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Konkani and Bengali. The Hindi and Kannada 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. Priyanandanan adapted the novel into a film of the same name in 2010. K. P. Ramanunni himself wrote the dialogue and script of the film.

It took nearly four years for Ramanunni to produce his next novel, Charama Varshikam (Death Anniversary).Oxford University Press has brought out his second novel Charamavarshikam in English as Death Anniversary.[4] And five years more to write his next novel Jeevithathinte Pusthakam (Book of life). The theme of the novel is woven around the life of a bank officer in the grip of amnesia. It was urban hypocrisy and the rural benevolence that he tried to portray in it. Experiences from his own life had added colour to the story, he says.[5] Critics have hailed Jeevithathinte Pusthakam as a significant contribution to Malayalam literature.[6] ‘DaivathintePusthakam’ bagged the distinguished National literary award of India in 2017. (Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award.) The novel had also received Sadbhavana Award, Basheer Award Abudhabi Sakthi Award and Agar Ali Engineer National Award.[7]

Ramanunni’s short stories which appeared in various leading Malayalam journals have been published in fifteen collections. His very first short story Shavasamskaram won the Prize for the best Short story from Samastha Kerala SahityaParishad. Another Short Story Mukalakshanam was awarded the V.P. Sivakumar Smaraka Keli Award. The Shrot Story JatiChodikkuka won the Padmarajan Puraskaram and Katha award, New Delhi. The Short Story Manushyan Mrugam Eninganne was awarded Bahrain Keraleya Samajam Prize. His collection of short stories PurushaVilapam won AbudabiSakthi Award and the Short Story collection Jadhi Chodikukka won Kalakkad Award. His selected Short Story collection has bagged C.V. Sreeraman Award of 2009 & T.V. Kochubava Award of 2009.[8]

Ramanunni has participated in many National and International Literary Seminars.[9] 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, Europe, U.A.E, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Bangkok, Iraq, Jordhan, Egypt and Singapore on invitation from different Malayalee organizations. K.P. Ramanunni was the member of writers’ delegation sent to China by Kendra Sahitya Akademi in 2007. K.P. Ramanunni was the Malayalam advisory board member of Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi. He was also the member of Kerala Sahitya Akademi and curriculum committee. Now he is the governing body member of Malayalam Mission.

Ramanunni is an activist working in the field of communal harmony and Mother tongue movement in Kerala. He led so many campaigns against the communal division of the society. He has addressed the communal problems from the standpoint of a real believer. His initiative in this field has been duly acknowledged throughout India.[10]

K. P. Ramanunni has won several awards and recognitions for his contributions towards Malayalam literature:

• Kendra Sahitya Academy Award (2017 for Daivathinte Pusthakam)[12]
• Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Novel (1995 for Sufi Paranja Katha)[13]
• Vayalar Award (2011 for Jeevithathinte Pusthakam)[14]
• Edasseri Award (1989 for Sufi Paranja Katha)
• Padmarajan Award (1999 for Jaathi Chodikkuka),* Vayalar Award (2011 for Jeevithathinte Pusthakam),[15]
• V.P. Sivakumar Smaraka Keli Award
• Bharathiya bhasa parishad National Award[16]
• Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award[17]
• Malayatoor Award [18]
• Basheer Award
• Katha Award
• Abudhabi Shakti Award
• Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam Award
• A. P. Kalakkadu Award.
• C. V. Sreeraman Award
• T.V. Kochubava Award[19]

• A Perception of Life