M. Krishnan Nair (author)
Encyclopedia
Prof. M. Krishnan Nair was an eminent Malayalam writer
, literary critic and orator.
He was born in Thiruvananthapuram
, Kerala
on 3 March 1923. His father was V.K. Madhavan Pillai and mother, L. Sarada Amma. He had his school education at Travancore
and his college education at University College, Thiruvananthapuram. After completing his Post Graduate Degree in Malayalam Literature, he served a lecturer of Malayalam Literature at various colleges in Kerala, before retiring as the Head of Malayalam Department, Maharaja's College, Ernakulam.
Nair's weekly Malayalam column 'Sahithya Varaphalam', which is carried by leading weeklies, has been the most widely read column in the language for the last 35 years. Nair earned friends and foes and often created storm in literary circles with his pungent comments, brief but incisive analysis and sharp observations in his column. He Was a voracious reader. Krishnan Nair's pen was for more than three decades the Malayali readers' preferred pointer to quality literature published the world over.
He retired as a teacher in 1978. He was the recipient of the first Goenka
award for Excellence in Literary journalism.
Krishnan Nair would perhaps be best remembered as the critic who — after Kesari Balakrishna Pillai — opened up the vistas of Western and Latin American literature to the ordinary Malayali reader through his weekly column 'Sahithyavaaraphalam.'
and Europe
. He was merciless in his critique of works by Malayalam authors, novice or established, if he found them as, to use one of his favourite phrases, trash. He also used his column to comment upon the contemporary Kerala society.
'Sahithya Varaphalam' first appeared in the now-defunct 'Malayala Nadu' weekly, later in 'Kalakaumudi' and then in 'Samakalika Malayalam', a weekly published by The New Indian Express
group. An authority on world literature, he introduced to the common reader masterpieces in English, European languages and also Latin American and Japanese literature. As a reviewer judging literary works, he never went by the reputation of the writer
but by the true value of the piece under judgment.
Nair's column was taken seriously by writers even when many of them smarted under his merciless attack. He was the recipient of the prestigious B.D. Goenka award and many other literary honours. He had for long taught Malayalam literature in different colleges.
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, literary critic and orator.
He was born in Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
, Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
on 3 March 1923. His father was V.K. Madhavan Pillai and mother, L. Sarada Amma. He had his school education at Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
and his college education at University College, Thiruvananthapuram. After completing his Post Graduate Degree in Malayalam Literature, he served a lecturer of Malayalam Literature at various colleges in Kerala, before retiring as the Head of Malayalam Department, Maharaja's College, Ernakulam.
Details
His works include 'Adhunika Malayala Kavitha,' 'M. Krishna Nairude Prabhandangal,' 'Prathibhayude Jwalagni' and compilation of 'Sahithya Varaphalam.'Nair's weekly Malayalam column 'Sahithya Varaphalam', which is carried by leading weeklies, has been the most widely read column in the language for the last 35 years. Nair earned friends and foes and often created storm in literary circles with his pungent comments, brief but incisive analysis and sharp observations in his column. He Was a voracious reader. Krishnan Nair's pen was for more than three decades the Malayali readers' preferred pointer to quality literature published the world over.
He retired as a teacher in 1978. He was the recipient of the first Goenka
Goenka
Goenka is a Agrawal clan. It can refer to* B K Goenka, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Welspun Group* Dipali Goenka, Director of Welspun Retail Ltd* Ramnath Goenka , freedom fighter and owner of The Indian Express daily...
award for Excellence in Literary journalism.
Krishnan Nair would perhaps be best remembered as the critic who — after Kesari Balakrishna Pillai — opened up the vistas of Western and Latin American literature to the ordinary Malayali reader through his weekly column 'Sahithyavaaraphalam.'
Sahithya Vara Phalam
He was famous for the weekly column "Sahithya Vara Phalam" which he penned for more than 36 years, uninterrupted. Though his column was criticised for its alleged superficiality, it was through this column that M. Krishnan Nair introduced a very large section of readers of Kerala to the world of literature from Latin AmericaLatin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. He was merciless in his critique of works by Malayalam authors, novice or established, if he found them as, to use one of his favourite phrases, trash. He also used his column to comment upon the contemporary Kerala society.
'Sahithya Varaphalam' first appeared in the now-defunct 'Malayala Nadu' weekly, later in 'Kalakaumudi' and then in 'Samakalika Malayalam', a weekly published by The New Indian Express
The New Indian Express
The New Indian Express is an Indian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper published by the Express Publications. It was founded in 1932 as the Indian Express, under the ownership of Chennai-based P. Varadarajulu Naidu. In 1991, following the death of the then owner Ramnath Goenka, the Goenka...
group. An authority on world literature, he introduced to the common reader masterpieces in English, European languages and also Latin American and Japanese literature. As a reviewer judging literary works, he never went by the reputation of the writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
but by the true value of the piece under judgment.
Nair's column was taken seriously by writers even when many of them smarted under his merciless attack. He was the recipient of the prestigious B.D. Goenka award and many other literary honours. He had for long taught Malayalam literature in different colleges.
Books by M.Krishnan Nair
- Adhunika Malayala Kavitha
- Vayanakkara, ningal jeevichirikkunno?
- Panineer Puvinte Parimalampole
- Sarathkala Deepthi
- Oru Shabdathil oru Ragam
- M.Krishnan Nayarute Prabhandhangal
- Sahithyavaraphalam