THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Writer Methil Radhakrishnan has been selected for the 2026 Ezhuthachan Puraskaram, the state government's highest literary honour. The award carries Rs 5 lakh, a citation and a plaque.
A jury chaired by poet KG Sankara Pillai (KGS), who won the award last year, chose Methil unanimously. Writers Kalpetta Narayanan, K Satchidanandan and Sarah Joseph were members, and MP Surendran was the member secretary.
The jury said Methil brought a new sensibility to Malayalam literature through his unique sense of beauty and sharp intellect. He creatively combined science, philosophy and psychology.
He is a major presence in Malayalam writing in the post-modern period. He has written novels, short stories, poems and science essays, and an original philosophy runs through all of them, the jury said. It called him a writer for the present and future generations.
The jury said Methil, who has been renewing the Malayalam language for decades, fully deserves an award named after Ezhuthachan, who created a new poetic language for Malayalam.
Methil's works push readers to keep updating their tastes and mark a major break in Malayalam literary sensibility, it said.
Instituted in 1993, the award was first given to Sooranad Kunjan Pillai. Methil is its 34th recipient.
According to the jury, Methil is a poet in everything he writes, whether a story, a novel or a short note. It described him as an architect of the short story, and said works such as 'Sangeetham Oru Samayakalayanu', 'Hitchcockinte Idapedal', 'Kayarinte Attam', 'Nayakanmar Shavapetakathil', 'Melinjavarude Manashastram' and 'Engane Oru Pazhutharaye Kollam' are many-layered creations that only he could have built.
His deep interest in world poetry, philosophy, environment, music, anthropology, history and the study of insects makes his novels special, the jury noted.
Born on August 24, 1944, at Puthiyankam in Alathur, Palakkad, Methil is the son of Parakkat Govinda Menon and Methil Kamala. He studied at Government College, Chittur, and Kerala Varma College, Thrissur.
He worked for many years as head of the computer department at a Norwegian shipping company and as a senior technical writer at the Madras branch of Nest Software USA.
His major works include 'Sooryavamsham', 'Chuvanna Vidushakarude Anchampathi', 'Bra', 'Penguin', 'Dylan Thomasinte Panthu', 'Methil Kathakal', 'Methil Kavithakal', 'Romam', 'Daivam Manushyan Yanthram', 'Albatrossinte Karachil', 'Moonnuvara', 'Sooryamalsyathe Vivarikkal', 'Choondunna Eli Choondeli', 'Ivide Oru Vavval Illa' and 'Zebra Crossing'.
His wife, Prabhavathi, is no more. Their children are Julian and late June.