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Priya A. S.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Priya A. S.
Malayalam writer Priya A. S. at the launch of her book “Oru Bhoomi Oru Veedu Oru Thankakkutti” photographed on 6 March 2026 by Arun Bhavana.
Priya A. S. at the launch of her book “Oru Bhoomi Oru Veedu Oru Thankakkutti” photographed on 6 March 2026 by Arun Bhavana.
Native name
പ്രിയ ആനന്ദവല്ലി സദാശിവൻ
Born
Priya Anandavalli Sadashivan

(1967-05-28) 28 May 1967 (age 59)
Eramalloor, Cherthala, Kerala, India
OccupationWriter, translator
LanguageMalayalam
NationalityIndian
EducationBA (English Literature), MA (Private)
Alma materMaharaja's College, Ernakulam
Period1980s–present
GenreShort story, memoirs, children's literature, translations
Literary movementPost-modern
Notable awards
ChildrenTanmoy (Kunjunni)
Relatives
  • Anandavalli (mother)
  • K. R. Sadashivan Nair (father)

Priya A. S. (born 28 May 1967), born Priya Anandavalli Sadashivan, is an Indian writer of Malayalam literature. Her oeuvre encompasses short stories, children's literature, translations, and memoirs.[1] She is a three-time recipient of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award and a recipient of the national Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize (2014) and the Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar (2023).[2][3]

She is best known for her translation of Arundhati Roy's Booker Prize-winning novel The God of Small Things into Malayalam, titled Kunju Karyangalude Odeythampuran. Roy herself has stated that although the novel has been translated into several languages, no other translation holds as much significance to her as the Malayalam version, as it is the language of the novel's central characters.[4]

Early life and education

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She had a difficult childhood owing to recurring illnesses, which confined her to hospital stays for extended periods. She has described how the experience of illness turned her towards reading and eventually writing as a means of engaging with the world beyond her immediate circumstances.[5][6][7]

After completing her schooling at E.C.E.K Union High School, Kuthiyathodu, she enrolled at Maharaja's College, Ernakulam, where she graduated with a degree in English literature.[8]

Career

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Administrative career

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Priya worked in administrative positions at Mahatma Gandhi University before joining Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) in Kochi, where she served for over two decades. She retired from CUSAT in 2023 as a section officer.[9]

Literary career

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Malayalam writer Priya A. S. at the launch of her book “Oru Bhoomi Oru Veedu Oru Thankakkutti” at Mathrubhumi Books, Kaloor, photographed on 6 March 2026 by Arun Bhavana (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Priya entered the Malayalam literary scene during her college years at Maharaja's College, Ernakulam, through short stories published in prominent Malayalam magazines. Her initial works appeared in the children's section of Mathrubhumi, including the story "Achan", which was later featured in Mathrubhumi Weekly. Senior students studying MA Malayalam at her college hostel recognized her from her children's magazine stories and offered encouragement, which she has credited as an early source of confidence.[7]

Her debut short story anthology, Ororo Thirivukal (Various Turns), was published in 1994, marking the formal beginning of her literary career. Her subsequent collection, Manjamarangal Chuttilum (Yellow Trees All Around), published in 2002 by DC Books, compiled several of her stories exploring family dynamics and emotional currents in everyday life.

Short fiction

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Her notable collections include Enthuppatti Ente Neelappoovinu (2008), Jagarooka (2015 edition; originally awarded in 2004), Pookkathirikkan Enikkavathille, and Violet Poochakalku Soo Vaikaan Thonnumpol (2017). Her stories frequently address themes of childhood experiences, women's lives, family bonds, societal pressures, and the inner worlds of individuals navigating difficult circumstances.[10]

Translations

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Her most celebrated translation was Kunju Karyangalude Odeythampuran, the Malayalam rendering of Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things, and the Malayalam translation of Jaishree Misra’s acclaimed English novel Ancient Promises. Set in Kerala and dealing with themes of caste, forbidden love, and social taboos, the translation was praised for its authentic integration of local idioms and rhythmic patterns. Roy endorsed the translation as the most significant among all language editions of the novel. [4] The translation earned Priya the Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize in 2014. The award, consisting of a cash prize of ₹50,000, a plaque, and a shawl, was presented during a ceremony on 4 September 2015 at the Rang Ghar auditorium in Dibrugarh University, Assam, where 24 translators from various Indian languages were honoured. [2]

Her other significant translation work is Janmanthara Vagdhanangal (2001), the Malayalam version of Jaishree Misra's Ancient Promises (1999), also published by DC Books. The novel, which traces a woman's journey through arranged marriage, separation, and self-realization, addresses conflicts between tradition and modernity. Priya's translation of this work received the V. K. Unnikrishnan Smaraka Award for its sensitive handling of psychological nuances and cultural contexts.[6]

Children's literature

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Children's literature forms a substantial and acclaimed portion of Priya's body of work. She has stated that her entry into children's writing was unplanned, beginning with Chithrasalabhangalude Veedu (House of Painted Butterflies, 2008), published by DC Books. The work centres on a butterfly named Chitra, exploring life's lessons through the creature's journey in a natural setting, using the butterfly's adventures as a metaphor for personal discovery and environmental harmony. The collection won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Children's Literature in 2006.[11]

When her son Tanmoy was young, she captured his childhood in the collection Ammem Kunjunneem Kunjunneem Ammem, which received widespread recognition and won the Siddhartha Literary Award in 2012.[12]

Her most celebrated children's work is the novel Perumazhayathe Kunjithalukal (The Children Who Never Withered), published on 1 November 2018 by Poorna Publications as part of the Sammanapothi series edited by K. Sreekumar. The novel was inspired by the 2018 Kerala floods. While working at CUSAT during the floods, Priya witnessed the relief camps set up on campus by the university's Department of Instrumentation, where she observed children from diverse backgrounds displaying resilience and unity in the face of the natural disaster. She has stated that her original story idea was entirely transformed by the experience of the floods, and every life she observed at the relief camp became an inspiration for the novel.[9][13] The novel's publication marked the inauguration of the children's literature section on IE Malayalam, the Malayalam news portal of The Indian Express.[9]

Perumazhayathe Kunjithalukal won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Children's Literature in 2020[14] and the national Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar in 2023, which carries a cash prize of ₹50,000 and an engraved copper plaque. The Malayalam jury for the 2023 award comprised Dr Paul Manalil, Mundoor Sethumadhavan, and B. S. Rajeev, who selected her novel from among ten recommended works.[3][15]

Priya A S in 2013

Personal life

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Priya has a son, Tanmoy, also known as Kunjunni. Following her retirement from CUSAT in 2023, she resides in her ancestral home at Eramalloor in Alappuzha district.[9]

Bibliography

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Short story anthologies

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TitleYearPublisherNotes
Manjamarangal Chuttilum2002DC Books, KottayamISBN 978-8126405190; won Lalithambika Anterjanam Award (2003)
Enthuppatti Ente Neelappoovinu2008DC BooksISBN 978-81-264-1930-2
Jagarooka2015Poorna PublicationsISBN 9788130016931; won Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Story (2004)
Ormmayanu Njan2016DC BooksISBN 978-8126466894
Parippu Jeevitham2016Kelkkam Audio BooksISBN 9780000104830 (audio book)
Violet Poochakalku Soo Vaikaan Thonnumpol2017MathrubhumiISBN 978-81-8266-754-9

Translations

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TitleOriginal workOriginal authorYearPublisher
Janmanthara VagdhanangalAncient Promises (1999)Jaishree Misra2001DC Books
Kunju Karyangalude OdeythampuranThe God of Small Things (1997)Arundhati Roy2011DC Books

Children's literature

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TitleYearPublisherNotes
Chithrasalabhangalude Veedu2008DC BooksISBN 978-81-264-0994-5; Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award (2006)
Ammem Kunjunnim Mookkurummi Mookkurummi2017MathrubhumiISBN 978-81-8266-754-9
Tha Enna Aniyathikutty2017Poorna PublicationsISBN 9788130019529
Perumazhayathe Kunjithalukal2018Poorna PublicationsISBN 978-8130021171; Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award (2020); Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar (2023)
Oru Bhoomi Oru Veedu Oru Thankakkutti2026Mathrhubhumi BooksISBN 9789359628578

Memoirs

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TitleYearPublisherNotes
Maayakkaazhchakal2006DC BooksISBN 9788126408108
Katha Bakki2007DC BooksISBN 978-8126415557
Fantas Minta2017Green BooksISBN 978-9386440815

Awards and honours

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YearAwardAwarded forAwarding body
2003Lalithambika Anterjanam Award (Best Young Woman Writer)Manjamarangal ChuttilumKerala Sahitya Akademi
2004Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for StoryJagarookaKerala Sahitya Akademi
2006Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Children's LiteratureChithrasalabhangalude VeeduKerala Sahitya Akademi
--Kerala Sahitya Akademi Endowment (Sri Padmanabhaswamy Endowment for Children's Literature)Chithrasalabhangalude VeeduKerala Sahitya Akademi
--S.B.I. Literary AwardState Bank of India
--V. K. Unnikrishnan Smaraka Award (Translation)Janmanthara Vagdhanangal
--Grihalakshmi AwardGrihalakshmi (Mathrubhumi Group)
--Ankanam Sahitya Award
--Ramu Kariat Award
2012Siddhartha Literary AwardAmmem Kunjunneem Kunjunneem Ammem
2014Sahitya Akademi Translation PrizeKunju Karyangalude OdeythampuranSahitya Akademi
2020Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Children's LiteraturePerumazhayathe KunjithalukalKerala Sahitya Akademi
2023Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya PuraskarPerumazhayathe KunjithalukalSahitya Akademi

[16][17][6][3][14]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ A. S. Jibina. "പ്രിയലോകം". Mathrubhumi. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Sahitya Akademi Translation Award - 2014" (PDF). Sahitya Akademi. 9 March 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 "Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2023" (PDF). sahitya-akademi.gov.in. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  4. 1 2 K. P. M. Basheer (3 January 2012). "Estha, Rahel now speak Malayalam". The Hindu. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  5. ↑ "Spainadanam". Madhyamam. 19 September 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 "Priya A S - Interview". Webindia123.com. 27 January 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  7. 1 2 "കീറിമുറിച്ചുള്ള വായന അനാവശ്യം: പ്രിയ എ എസ്". ManoramaOnline (in Malayalam). 12 September 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  8. ↑ "അക്ഷരത്തിന്റെ സൗന്ദര്യവും തലയെടുപ്പും". Indian Express Malayalam (in Malayalam). 27 June 2018. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Priya A.S. received Sahitya Akademi Award 2023 for children's literature". Adda247. 28 June 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  10. ↑ "Reading the short story Ath by Priya AS". Asianet News (in Malayalam). 7 December 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  11. ↑ "Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Children's Literature" (in Malayalam). Kerala Sahitya Akademi. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  12. ↑ "Priya A.S. gets Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award for children's literature". LiteratureCurry. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  13. ↑ "Priya A S Receives Kendra Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2023". Frontlist. 6 November 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  14. 1 2 "Kerala Sahitya Akademi awards announced, Sethu and Sreedharan honoured with fellowships". The New Indian Express. 17 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  15. ↑ "Priya A.S. gets Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award for children's literature". The Hindu. 23 June 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  16. ↑ "MT Vasudevan chosen for Lalithambika Award". The Times of India. 31 March 2003. Retrieved 20 July 2015.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  17. ↑ "Sahitya Akademi awards announced". The Hindu. 25 May 2005. Retrieved 20 July 2015.[dead link]

Further reading

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