THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Eminent writer Anand has won the 27th Ezhuthachan Puraskaram, the top literary award instituted by the state government. A jury chaired by Kerala Sahitya Akademi president Vaisakhan selected him for the award considering his contributions to the language and its literature. The prize, named after Ezhuthachan, the father of Malayalam language, consists of a purse of `5 lakh and a citation.
Born at Irinjalakuda, Thrissur, in 1936, Anand, whose real name is P. Satchidanandan, graduated from the Thiruvananthapuram College of Engineering in civil engineering. He served in the Army for about four years and retired from the Central Water Commission, Delhi, as a planning director. A sculptor as well, Anand’s repertoire includes over 30 books ranging from novels, short stories, dramas and essays.
His work ‘Govardhanante Yaathrakal’ won the Kendra Sahitya Akademi award, while ‘Veedum Thadavum’ and ‘Jaiva Manushyan’ bagged the Kerala Sahitya Akademi awards. Culture Minister A K Balan said Anand had finely portrayed the crises witnessed by the nation in his works, including ‘Aalkoottam.’ The jury comprised M K Sanoo, M Mukundan, K Jayakumar and cultural secretary Rani George.