THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Writer Benyamin has been chosen for the coveted Vayalar Ramavarma Memorial Literary Award. His Manthalirile 20 Communist Varshangal fetched Benyamin the honour, which comprises a purse of `1 lakh and a bronze statue designed by Kanayi Kunjiraman. The award function will be held at the Nishagandhi auditorium at 5.30 pm on October 27, the death anniversary of Vayalar.
The jury chaired by Perumbadavam Sreedharan had K R Meera, George Onakkoor and C Unnikrishnan as its members. Works, including prose, poetry and literary criticism, published in the previous five years till 2020 were considered for the award. As a preliminary step before deciding on the final choice, 550 people were asked to submit their suggestions. Of them, 169 people responded and they suggested 197 works.
Five works, which got the maximum points, were sent to 20 people. They were asked to list the works in the order of their preference. Eleven points were given to the work, which came first, seven for the second ranked one and three points for the work ranked third. The works were then submitted to the jury for the final ranking.
The award function will also see the presentation of the annual student scholarship instituted by Vayalar Ramavarma Memorial Trust. It is given to the Class 10 student of Asan Memorial Higher Secondary School in Chennai, who secures the highest marks for Malayalam. The award function will also have a musical tribute to the poet and popular singers will render Vayalar’s poems and lyrics.
Benyamin, born Benny Daniel in 1971, hails from Kulanada near Pandalam in Pathanamthitta district. He is a recipient of the Kerala Sahithya Akademi Award, the Crossword Book Award, the JCB Prize for Literature and the Muttathu Varkey Award. He is most known for his novel Aadujeevitham (Goat Days), which tells the story of a Malayali labourer in Saudi Arabia.