Kovilan

{{short description|Indian writer (1923–2010)}} {{Use Indian English|date=January 2021}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}} {{Infobox writer  | name = V. V. Ayyapan | image = Kovilan.jpeg | image_size = 240px | alt = | caption = | pseudonym = Kovilan | birth_name = Kandanissery Vattamparambil Velappan Ayyappan | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1923|07|09}} | birth_place = Kandanassery, Guruvayur, Thrissur, Kingdom of Cochin, British India | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2010|06|02|1923|07|09}} | death_place = Kunnamkulam, Thrissur, Kerala, India | resting_place = | occupation = Writer, soldier, freedom fighter | language = Malayalam | nationality = Indian | ethnicity = | citizenship = Indian | education = | alma_mater = Kandanisseri Excelsior School Nenmini Higher Elementary School Sahitya Deepika Sanskrit College at Pavaratty | period = | genre = Novel, short story, essay | subject = | movement = | notableworks = ''Ezhamedangal'', ''Thottangal'', ''Thattakam'' | spouse = | partner = | children =

| relatives = | influences = | influenced = | awards = {{awards|Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award|1972|Thottangal}} {{awards|Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award|1977|Sakunam}} {{awards|Kerala Sahitya Akademi Fellowship|1997}} {{awards|Sahitya Akademi Award|1998|Thattakam}} {{awards|Sahitya Akademi Fellowship|2005}} {{awards|Ezhuthachan Puraskaram|2005}} | signature = | signature_alt = | website =  | portaldisp = }}

'''Kandanisseri Vattamparambil Velappan Ayyappan''' (9 July 1923 – 2 June 2010) or '''V. V. Ayyappan''', better known by his pen name '''Kovilan''', was an Indian Malayalam language novelist and freedom fighter from Kerala. He is considered one of the most prolific writers of contemporary Indian literature.<ref name="hindu_feb05">{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2005/02/17/stories/2005021704391300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050217075451/http://www.hindu.com/2005/02/17/stories/2005021704391300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 February 2005|title=Nirmal Verma, Kovilan elected Sahitya Academy Fellows |date=17 February 2005|work=The Hindu|access-date=15 November 2009}}</ref> In all, he had authored 11 novels, 10 collections of short stories, three essays and a play.

He won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 1972 and 1977 and the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award in 1998. He was also a recipient of the Kerala state government's highest literary honour Ezhuthachan Puraskaram in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Malayalam literature.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/01/29/stories/2007012908920500.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091022114249/http://www.hindu.com/2007/01/29/stories/2007012908920500.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 October 2009|title=Ezhuthachan Puraskaram presented to writer Kovilan|date=29 January 2007|work=The Hindu|access-date=15 November 2009}}</ref> He had been a Fellow of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi since 1997 and Sahitya Akademi since 2005.<ref name="hindu_feb05"/><ref name="hindu_may05">{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2005/05/03/stories/2005050307200400.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050506052720/http://www.hindu.com/2005/05/03/stories/2005050307200400.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 May 2005|title=A moment of honour for writer-patriarch Kovilan |date=3 May 2005|work=The Hindu|access-date=15 November 2009}}</ref>

==Life==

===Early years=== Kovilan was born in Kandanassery in Guruvayur, Thrissur to Vattomparambil Shanku Velappan and Kotakkattil Kunjandi Kali.{{citation needed|date= September 2022}} He did his early education at the Kandanisseri Excelsior School and Nenmini Higher Elementary School. He then joined the Sahitya Deepika Sanskrit College at Pavaratty at the age of 13. He attended classes of K. P. Narayana Pisharody, P. C. Vasudevan Elayathu, M. P. Sankunni Nair, Cherukadu and Srikrishna Sharma. Even as a student, he had shown interest in writing poems and stories.{{citation needed|date= September 2022}}

A follower of Mahatma Gandhi, Kovilan left the Sanskrit College to participate in the Quit India Movement. That marked the end of his formal academic education. By the time he quit, he had written at least three novels.{{citation needed|date= September 2022}}

===Military life=== He joined the Royal Indian Navy in 1943 and was trained in Anti-submarine Detecting Operations.{{citation needed|date= September 2022}} He served in Bengal sea, Burma and Singapore. He quit following the Royal Indian Navy mutiny of 1946 and returned home. While back in Kerala, Kovilan maintained a close friendship with Vaikom Muhammed Basheer, Joseph Mundassery and C. J. Thomas. He also took part in the trade union movements. In 1948 he passed SSLC and worked for a while as a stenographer for Joseph Mundassery. In 1948, he joined the Indian Army Corps of Signals as Radio Mechanic.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hindu.com/2005/02/17/stories/2005021704391300.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050217075451/http://www.hindu.com/2005/02/17/stories/2005021704391300.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 February 2005 |work=The Hindu |title=Nirmal Verma, Kovilan elected Sahitya Akademi Fellows |date=2005-02-17 |access-date=30 October 2011}}</ref> He also specialised in electronics. For five years he lived in the Himalayas. While in army, he came in contact with soldier-turned-writers Parappurath and Nandanar. He also worked as National Cadet Corps training officer at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. He retired from the Indian Army in 1968 as Havildar Major and settled down at Pullanikunnu at Kandanassery.

===Death===

Kovilan died on 2 June 2010 in Kunnamkulam, aged 86.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/news.php?id=92577|title=Noted novelist Kovilan passes away|date=2 June 2010|publisher=Mathrubhumi|access-date=2 June 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100606105022/http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/news.php?id=92577|archive-date=6 June 2010|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Writings== {{unreferenced section|date= September 2022}} Kovilan has written 4 novels—''A Minus B'' (1958), ''Ezhamedangal'' (Army Wives, 1965), ''Thazhvarakal'' (The Valleys, 1969) and ''Himalayam''—with military experiences as their background.

''Thottangal'' (Incantations, 1970), the first post-service novel of the writer, narrates the delirious memories of an old woman in the night of her death whose life was shipwrecked turning the dreams of her childhood into nightmares.

His most popular novel was ''Thattakam'' (The Terrain, 1995).

Kovilan's first collection of short stories was ''Oru Palam Manayola'' (A Measure of Red Arsenic). This book was published in the year 1957. The story ''Tharavadu'' (Ancestral Home) is included in this collection. Kovilan's other collections of short stories include ''Ee Jeevitham Ananthamanu'' (1957), ''Orikkal Manushyanayirunnu'' (1960), ''Oru Kashanam Asthi'' (1961), ''Vendam Kadi'' (1969), ''Thervazhchakal'' (1971), ''Pitham'' (1971), ''Shakunam'' (1974), ''Adyathe Kathakal'' (1978), ''Sujatha'' (1979), ''Theranjedutha Kathakal'' (1980) and ''Kovilante Kathakal'' (1985). A tele-serial based on his novel ''Thottangal'' was beamed on Doordarshan. Some of his short stories also have been adapted for tele-screen.

==Style and recurring themes==

According to one source, Kovilan's works contributed to transforming a community bogged down by conservatism to one that was progressive and socialist in outlook.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/article427903.ece|title=A staunch votary of labour class|date=3 June 2010|work=The New Indian Express|access-date=3 July 2013|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304083014/http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/article427903.ece|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Poet and critic K. Satchidanandan notes: {{cquote|He wrote pure prose, not poetic prose. In an era when prose writers revelled in poetic expressions, Kovilan wrote a prose that was plain and lean. Its beauty was raw and unadorned. Though Kovilan's works were initially categorised as ''Pattala Sahityam'' or soldier's writings, it was clear after the publication of ''Thattakam'' and ''Thottangal'' that they were more than that. Writers seek legends. Kovilan realised that there is a legend behind every man. He sought to document this. He explored the legends of his village. His stories bridged local and regional history.<ref>{{cite news | title= Kovilan a master of pure prose |work=The Hindu | url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/kovilan-a-master-of-pure-prose/article3622884.ece| date=10 July 2012| access-date=3 July 2013}}</ref>}}

==Awards== {{unreferenced section|date= September 2022}} * 1971: Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award (Novel) for ''Thottangal'' * 1977: Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award (Story) for ''Sakunam'' * 1995: Muttathu Varkey Award * 1997: Kerala Sahitya Akademi Fellowship * 1997: A. P. Kulakkad Award for ''Thattakam'' * 1998: Kendra Sahitya Academy Award for ''Thattakam'' * 1998: Kerala Sahitya Parishath Award for ''Thattakam'' * 1999: Vayalar Award for ''Thattakam'' * 1999: N. V. Prize for ''Thattakam'' * 2004: Sahitya Akademi Fellowship * 2006: Ezhuthachan Award * 2008: Mathrubhumi Literary Award

==Bibliography== {{unreferenced section|date= September 2022}}

===Novels=== {| class="wikitable" ! Title ! Title in English ! Year ! Publisher |- |''Thakarnna Hridayangal'' ||''Broken Hearts'' || 1946 || Arunodayam Press, Vadakkencherry |- |''A Minus B'' || || 1958 || Current Books, Thrissur |- |''Ezhamedangal'' || ''Army Wives'' || 1965 || Current Books, Thrissur |- |''Thazhvarakal'' || ''The Valleys'' || 1969 || Current Books, Thrissur |- |''Thottanngal'' || ''Incantations'' || 1970 || Current Books, Thrissur |- |''Himalayam'' || ''The Himalayas'' || 1972 || Current Books, Thrissur |- |''Bharathan'' || || 1976 || Poorna Publications, Calicut |- |''Janmantharanngal'' || ''Through Many Births'' || 1982 || Sahithya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society, Kottayam |- |''Thattakam'' || ''The Terrain'' || 1995 || Current Books, Thrissur |}

===Novelettes=== {| class="wikitable" ! Title ! Title in English ! Year ! Publisher |- |''Board Out'' || || 1936 || Current Books, Thrissur |- |''Tharavadu'' || ''The Ancestral Home'' || 1963 || Current Books, Thrissur |}

===Short stories=== {| class="wikitable" ! Title ! Title in English ! Year ! Publisher |- |''Oru Palam Manayola'' || ''A Measure of Red Arsenic'' || 1957 || Current Books, Thrissur |- |''Ee Jeevitham Anadhamanu'' || ''This Life is Orphaned'' || 1957 || Current Books, Thrissur |- |''Orikkal Manushyanayirunnu'' || ''Once a Man I was...'' || 1960 || Current Books, Thrissur |- |''Oru Kashanam Asthi'' || ''A Piece of Bone'' || 1961 || Current Books, Thrissur |- |''Vendamkadi'' || ''The Unwanted'' || 1969 || Current Books, Thrissur |- |''Thervazchakal'' || ''Apparitions'' || 1971 || Current Books, Thrissur |- |''Pitham'' || ''The Bilious Child'' || 1971 || Current Books, Thrissur |- |''Sujatha'' || || 1971 || Poorna Publications, Calicut |- |''Sakunam'' || ''The Omen'' || 1974 || Sahithya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society, Kottayam |- |''Adyathe Kathakal'' || ''Stories of Early Days'' || 1978 || Sahithya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society, Kottayam |- |''Theranjedutha Kathakal'' || ''Selected Stories'' || 1980 || Sahithya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society, Kottayam |- |''Kovilante Kathakal'' || ''Stories of Kovilan'' || 1985 || Current Books, Thrissur |- |''Suvarna Kathakal'' || ''Golden Stories'' || 2002 || Green Books, Thrissur |- |''Ente Priyappetta Kathakal'' || ''My Favourite Stories'' || 2003 || DC Books, Kottayam |}

===Play=== {| class="wikitable" ! Title ! Title in English ! Year ! Publisher |- |''Ninte Viswasam Ninne Poruppikkum'' || ''Your Faith Ensures What Happens to You'' || 1957 || Current Books, Thrissur |}

===Miscellaneous writings=== {| class="wikitable" ! Title ! Title in English ! Year ! Publisher |- |''Kovilante Lekhanangal'' || ''Essays of Kovilan'' || 1984 || Sikha Publications, Calicut |- |''Kathayum Kathakalum'' || ''Stories Behind the Stories'' || 1957 || Poorna Publications, Calicut |- |''Athmabhavangal'' || ''Self Reflections'' || 1995 || Jwala, Ariyannur, Thrissur |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== * Dr. Ajayapuram Jyothishkumar, Kovilan Ezhuthu Desam Prathinidhanam, State Institute of Languages. A study on the writings of Kovilan

==External links== * http://www.dvaipayana.net/kovilan/ Kovilan Page at dvaipayana.net *[http://kovilanstudygroup.org The International Kovilan Study Group] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20111128051230/http://kovilan.com/ Kovilan Trust] *[http://www.dvaipayana.net/kovilan/intron.html A brief introduction to the novels of Kovilan] *[http://www.dvaipayana.net/kovilan/rad.html Ballads of Rage: An introduction to the short stories by P. Radhakrishnan Nair] (in English translation) *[http://www.dvaipayana.net/kovilan/bharathan.html Translation of Bharathan: A novel written by Kovilan] (in seven chapters) *[http://www.dvaipayana.net/kovilan/conch.html Translation of Conch: A story written by Kovilan] *[http://www.dvaipayana.net/kovilan/mof.html Translation of M/F: A story written by Kovilan] *[http://www.dvaipayana.net/kovilan/tales.html Tales behind Thottangal] (in English translation) *[http://www.dvaipayana.net/kovilan/totvi.pdf An appreciation of Thottangal by A. Purushothaman] (in Malayalam) *[http://www.dvaipayana.net/kovilan/kovstory.html When Kovilan constructs story: An appreciation of the story Conch by K. P. Appan] (in English translation) *[http://www.dvaipayana.net/kovilan/tarakan.html A study of Thottangal by Dr. K. M. Tharakan] (in English translation) *[http://www.dvaipayana.net/kovilan/thottv.html Thottangal: A commentary in Malayalam by A. Purushothaman] (in 15 chapters) *[http://www.frontline.in/navigation/?type=static&page=flonnet&rdurl=fl2713/stories/20100702271311800.htm A craft of his own] (''Frontline'' article) *[https://web.archive.org/web/20160304034753/http://static.manoramaonline.com/advt/mmtv/prgms/annorikkal/index3.htm Annorikkal: Kovilan] (Documentary by Manorama News)

{{Sahitya Akademi Award For Malayalam}} {{SahityaAkademiFellowship}} {{Ezhuthachan Puraskaram}} {{Kerala Sahitya Akademi Fellowship}} {{Malayalam Literature |state=collapsed}} {{Vayalar Awards}} {{Authority control}}

Category:1923 births Category:2010 deaths Category:Respiratory disease deaths in India Category:Writers from Thrissur Category:Malayalam-language novelists Category:Recipients of the Ezhuthachan Award Category:Recipients of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award Category:Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Malayalam Category:20th-century Indian novelists Category:Novelists from Kerala Category:People from Guruvayur Category:Writers from Thrissur district