KOCHI:R Vinodkumar is not your regular run-of-the-mill author. A travel lover and writer of environment-related books, the nature lover based in the capital has just earned a name in the India Book of Records for authoring the most number of books, the titles of which start with ‘Kerala’. Vinodkumar, who is also the secretary of the environmental NGO ‘Sahyadri Natural History Society’, has come up with 17 of these books in Malayalam, which is just a few among a total of 36 works.
Speaking about the accomplishment, he says, “Though I had applied for the same long back, the record was just confirmed a few days back. Earning the record feels great, and serves as encouragement and motivation for coming up with more works.” While he is noted for his books on nature, environment and wildlife, it was infact through a fictional work that Vinod made the debut as a writer. Says the travel lover, who has travelled to most parts of South India, “ I started writing in 1998, with a novel ‘Aham Brahmasmi’. It was after this, that I got more interested in penning books on nature.” His books mostly concentrate on the destinations of his travel expeditions.
For the self-confessed bibliophile, travelling is another factor which got him interested in writing books on nature. Even before being a part of Sahyadri, he had been an avid explorer bitten by the travel bug. So much so that Vinod quit his graduation course to pursue his passion. Having visited many important wildlife sanctuaries, he adds “I used to read a lot from my younger days. Apart from that, I also had a love for travelling. I have always wanted to explore new places since my younger days, and have travelled to various places in Tamil Nadu. Amdhra and Karnataka, and Kerala.”
It seems, Vinod is not stopping his efforts with just this record entry. The book lover’s works also include books he has co-authored with Sahyadri founder member and president T R Jayakumari. The duo is now aiming at a record for the same as well, as they claim it to be the most number of books in the country written by male and female friends. Winding up the conversation, Vinod says, “We have applied for not just the India Book of Records but also the Limca Book of Records.”