S. K. Pottekkatt
Encyclopedia
Sankaran Kutty Pottekkatt , popularly known as S. K. Pottekkatt, (March 13, 1913 – August 6, 1982) was a famous Malayalam writer
from Kerala state, South India
. He is the author of nearly sixty books which include ten novels, twenty-four collections of short stories, three anthologies of poems, eighteen travelogue
s, four plays, a collection of essays and a couple of books based on personal reminiscences. Pottekat won the Jnanpith Award
in 1980 for the novel Oru Desathinte Katha
(The Story of a Locale). His works have been translated into English, Italian, Russian, German and Czech, besides all major Indian languages.
as the son of Kunchiraman Pottekkatt, an English schoolteacher. He had his early education at the Hindu School and Zamorin's High School. He graduated from Zamorin’s College
, Kozhikode
in 1934. He did not find an employment for three years following his graduation and devoted his time to the study of Indian and Western classics. From 1937 to 1939, he worked as a teacher at Calicut Gujarati School. He quit the job to attend the Tripura Congress in 1939. He then went to Mumbai and took up several jobs only to develop an aversion for any white-collored jobs. He returned to Kerala in 1945. In 1952, he married Ms. Jayavalli and settled down at Puthiyara in Calicut. They had four children- two sons and two daughters. Pottekatts' wife died in 1980 after which his comdition too deteriorated. He was hospitalized in July 1982 following a paralytic stroke. He died on August 6, 1982.
. Here, Pottekkatt wrote his first novel Naadanpremam (1941) which was followed by Yavanikakku Pinnil (a collection of short stories) in 1940 and by a second novel Vishakanyaka. The latter received a prize from the Madras government in 1949. In 1945 he travelled to Kashmir and in 1946 embarked on an eighteen-month tour to Africa and Europe. This resulted in the publication of Kappirikalude Naattil (In the Land of the Negroes) and Innathe Europe (Europe today). In 1952, Pottekkatt travelled to Ceylon, Malaysia and Indonesia. Five years later he visited Finland, Czechoslovakia and Russia.
Pottekkatt was a writer of strong social commitmment and ideals, possessing an indvidualistic vision. He was not interested in purely symbolic or allegorical mode of writing as practiced by Kafka or D.H Lawrence. He was adept in weaving pots of chilling suspense akin to the writings of Alexandre Dumas, père
, O. Henry
etc. Pottekkatt stories are characterized by a plot that carries an element of surprise, a few suggestive incidences that heighten its dramatic quality and a style that easily mediates between realism and lyricism. The plot is characterized by an Aristotelean peripeteia (a sudden reversal of situation) or an O'Henry twist. Love is also a dominant motif in several of his stories. This usually takes the form of betrayal of women or the capricious nature of man. At times it is the tragedy wrought by fate itself. These can be seen in Pulliman (The Spotted Deer), Sthree (Woman), Vadhu (Bride) etc.
Pottekkatt has been translated into English, Italian, Russian, German and Czech, besides all major Indian languages. An Italian anthology of 'The best short stories of the World' published from Milan in 1971 included his Braanthan Naaya (Mad Dog). A collection of eleven of his short stories in Russian had a sensational sales of one hundred thousand copies in two weeks.
Besides his extensive travels and literary works, Pottekkatt also dabbled in politics. In 1957, he contested the parliamentary election from Tellicherry but lost by 1000 votes. In 1962, he won the parliamentary election from the same constituency with a majority of 66,000 votes against his fellow littérateur Sukumar Azhikode
.
. His biographical novel Oru Desattinte Katha won the Kerala Sahithya Academy Award in 1972, the Kendra Sahithya Academy Award in 1977, and the Jnanpith Award
in 1980.
(The last three volumes are a compilation of previous works)
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....
from Kerala state, South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
. He is the author of nearly sixty books which include ten novels, twenty-four collections of short stories, three anthologies of poems, eighteen travelogue
Travel literature
Travel literature is travel writing of literary value. Travel literature typically records the experiences of an author touring a place for the pleasure of travel. An individual work is sometimes called a travelogue or itinerary. Travel literature may be cross-cultural or transnational in focus, or...
s, four plays, a collection of essays and a couple of books based on personal reminiscences. Pottekat won the Jnanpith Award
Jnanpith Award
The Jnanpith Award is a literary award in India. Along with the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, it is one of the two most prestigious literary honours in the country...
in 1980 for the novel Oru Desathinte Katha
Oru Desathinte Katha
Oru Desathinte Katha is a Malayalam novel written by S. K. Pottekkatt in 1971. In the novel, S. K. Pottekkatt sketches the men and women of Athiranippadam, drawing the history of the country while detailing the micro-history of a place. It won the Kendra Sahitya Academy Award in 1972, and Jnanpith...
(The Story of a Locale). His works have been translated into English, Italian, Russian, German and Czech, besides all major Indian languages.
Biography
S. K. Pottekkat was born in KozhikodeKozhikode
Kozhikode During Classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, Kozhikkode was dubbed the "City of Spices" for its role as the major trading point of eastern spices. Kozhikode was once the capital of an independent kingdom of the same name and later of the erstwhile Malabar District...
as the son of Kunchiraman Pottekkatt, an English schoolteacher. He had his early education at the Hindu School and Zamorin's High School. He graduated from Zamorin’s College
Zamorin's Guruvayurappan College
The Zamorin's Guruvayurappan College is a private college in Kozhikode, Kerala offering graduation and post-graduation courses. It is affiliated to the University of Calicut. The original institution was founded by the Zamorin of Calicut, H.H.Sri.Manavikraman Maharaja Bahadur, as an English school...
, Kozhikode
Kozhikode
Kozhikode During Classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, Kozhikkode was dubbed the "City of Spices" for its role as the major trading point of eastern spices. Kozhikode was once the capital of an independent kingdom of the same name and later of the erstwhile Malabar District...
in 1934. He did not find an employment for three years following his graduation and devoted his time to the study of Indian and Western classics. From 1937 to 1939, he worked as a teacher at Calicut Gujarati School. He quit the job to attend the Tripura Congress in 1939. He then went to Mumbai and took up several jobs only to develop an aversion for any white-collored jobs. He returned to Kerala in 1945. In 1952, he married Ms. Jayavalli and settled down at Puthiyara in Calicut. They had four children- two sons and two daughters. Pottekatts' wife died in 1980 after which his comdition too deteriorated. He was hospitalized in July 1982 following a paralytic stroke. He died on August 6, 1982.
Literary career and travels
Pootekkatt made his mark in literature with a few short stories in the 1930s. By the 40s, he had established himself as a leading writer of fiction in Malayalam. The trip to Bombay is described in his travelogue and memoir Ente Vazhiyambalangal which also broadened his horizons and was a turning point in his literary life. While in Bombay, he was involved in India’s freedom struggle and worked alongside freedom fighters like Mathai ManjooranMathai Manjooran
Mathai Manjooran was an Indian independence activist from Kerala, socialist revolutionary, Member of Parliament, Minister of Labour in the second E.M.S...
. Here, Pottekkatt wrote his first novel Naadanpremam (1941) which was followed by Yavanikakku Pinnil (a collection of short stories) in 1940 and by a second novel Vishakanyaka. The latter received a prize from the Madras government in 1949. In 1945 he travelled to Kashmir and in 1946 embarked on an eighteen-month tour to Africa and Europe. This resulted in the publication of Kappirikalude Naattil (In the Land of the Negroes) and Innathe Europe (Europe today). In 1952, Pottekkatt travelled to Ceylon, Malaysia and Indonesia. Five years later he visited Finland, Czechoslovakia and Russia.
Pottekkatt was a writer of strong social commitmment and ideals, possessing an indvidualistic vision. He was not interested in purely symbolic or allegorical mode of writing as practiced by Kafka or D.H Lawrence. He was adept in weaving pots of chilling suspense akin to the writings of Alexandre Dumas, père
Alexandre Dumas, père
Alexandre Dumas, , born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie was a French writer, best known for his historical novels of high adventure which have made him one of the most widely read French authors in the world...
, O. Henry
O. Henry
O. Henry was the pen name of the American writer William Sydney Porter . O. Henry's short stories are well known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization and clever twist endings.-Early life:...
etc. Pottekkatt stories are characterized by a plot that carries an element of surprise, a few suggestive incidences that heighten its dramatic quality and a style that easily mediates between realism and lyricism. The plot is characterized by an Aristotelean peripeteia (a sudden reversal of situation) or an O'Henry twist. Love is also a dominant motif in several of his stories. This usually takes the form of betrayal of women or the capricious nature of man. At times it is the tragedy wrought by fate itself. These can be seen in Pulliman (The Spotted Deer), Sthree (Woman), Vadhu (Bride) etc.
Pottekkatt has been translated into English, Italian, Russian, German and Czech, besides all major Indian languages. An Italian anthology of 'The best short stories of the World' published from Milan in 1971 included his Braanthan Naaya (Mad Dog). A collection of eleven of his short stories in Russian had a sensational sales of one hundred thousand copies in two weeks.
Besides his extensive travels and literary works, Pottekkatt also dabbled in politics. In 1957, he contested the parliamentary election from Tellicherry but lost by 1000 votes. In 1962, he won the parliamentary election from the same constituency with a majority of 66,000 votes against his fellow littérateur Sukumar Azhikode
Sukumar Azhikode
Sukumar Azhikode is a writer, critic and orator, acknowledged for his contributions to Malayalam and insights on Indian philosophy. He is a bachelor and lives in Eravimangalam near Thrissur....
.
Awards and honours
Oru Theruvinte Katha (The Story of a Street), written based on the story of Mittai Theruvu (S. M. Street) in Kozhikode, won the Kerala Sahithya Academy AwardKerala Sahithya Academy
Kerala Sahitya Akademi or Academy for Malayalam literature is an autonomous body established to promote Malayalam language and literature. It is situated in Thrissur, Kerala in India. The academy was inaugurated on October 15, 1956, by Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, the former king of...
. His biographical novel Oru Desattinte Katha won the Kerala Sahithya Academy Award in 1972, the Kendra Sahithya Academy Award in 1977, and the Jnanpith Award
Jnanpith Award
The Jnanpith Award is a literary award in India. Along with the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, it is one of the two most prestigious literary honours in the country...
in 1980.
Novels
- 1937- Vallikadevi
- 1941- Naadan Premam
- 1945- Prema Shiksha
- 1948- Mootupatam
- 1948- Vishakanyaka
- 1959- Karambu
- 1960- Oru Theruvinte Katha
- 1971- Oru Desathinte KathaOru Desathinte KathaOru Desathinte Katha is a Malayalam novel written by S. K. Pottekkatt in 1971. In the novel, S. K. Pottekkatt sketches the men and women of Athiranippadam, drawing the history of the country while detailing the micro-history of a place. It won the Kendra Sahitya Academy Award in 1972, and Jnanpith...
- 1974- Kurumulaku
- 1979- Kabeena
- North Avenue
Short- Stories
- 1944- Chandrakaantham
- 1944- Manimaalika
- 1945- Rajamalli
- 1945- Nisagandhi
- 1945- Pulliman
- 1945- Meghamala
- 1946- Jalatharangam
- 1946- Vijayanthi
- 1947- Pournami
- 1947- Padmaagam
- 1947- Indraneelam
- 1948- Himavahini
- 1949- Prethabhoomi
- 1949- Rangamandapam
- 1952- Yavanikkaku Pinnil
- 1954- Kallipookkal
- 1954- Vanakaumudhi
- 1955- Kanakaambaram
- 1960- Antharvahini
- 1962- Ezhilampala
- 1967- Theranjedutha Kathakal
- 1968- Vrindaavanam
- 1970- Kaattuchempakam
Travels
- 1947- Kashmir
- 1949- Yathra Smaranakal (Memories of a Journey)
- 1951- Kappirikalude Nattil
- 1954- Simhabhoomi
- 1954- Nile Diary
- 1954- Malaya Natukalil
- 1955- Innathe Europe (Today's Europe)
- 1955- Indonesian Diary
- 1955- Soviet Diary
- 1956- Paathira Sooryante Naatil
- 1958- Balidweep
- 1960- Bohemian Chithrangal
- 1967- Himaalyan Saamrajyathil
- 1969- Nepal Yathra (A Journey to Nepal)
- 1970- London Notebook
- 1974- Cairo Kathukal
- 1977- Cleopatrayude Naattil (In the Land of Cleopatra )
- 1976- Africa
- 1977- 'Europe
- 1977- Asia
(The last three volumes are a compilation of previous works)
Drama
- 1943- Achan
- 1948- Achanum Makanum (Included in Himavahini)
- 1954- Althara (A Radio play included in Vanakaumudi)
- 1954- Theerandi Otunnu (A radio play included in Kallipookkal)
Others
- 1947- Ponthakkadukal
- 1949- Gadyamekhala
- 1975- Ente Vazhiyambalangal
- 1981- Samsaarikkunna Diarykurrippukal