Maythil Radhakrishnan


Maythil Radhakrishnan aka Rad Maythil, popularly known as Maythil, born in Pudiyankom, is an all-rounder in Malayalam literature, who writes poetry and fiction as well as non-fiction. He was chosen for the Kerala Sahitya Academi Award for Overall Contributions in 2016 which he subsequently refused.

Biography

Maythil graduated in Economics from Kerala University in 1968. For the next eight years, he researched insect ethology, while working as a freelance journalist. From 1976 to 1984 he worked in Kuwait for a Norwegian shipping firm as EDP Coordinator. For the next three years, he ran his own computer aided design and drafting center in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Since 1987, except for a four-year stint as Editor for Youth Express of The New Indian Express group, at Trivandrum and Chennai, Maythil has spent his time mostly in writing; on occasions working as a freelance journalist, and a web developer. He writes popular columns in The Sunday Express and in Madhyamam Weekly. Presently he lives in Trivandrum. He is a widower and has a daughter and a son.

Writing

Maythil's first novel, Sooryavamsam, published in 1970, announced the arrival of a major talent in Malayalam literature. Four novels and many stories and poems later, his is still a fresh voice. His oeuvre reflects the whole gamut of unrelated experience—from computers to insects—that he had acquired. The essence of his writing is summed up by K. Satchidanandan in the following words:

There are very few in Indian fiction who can compare with this author in artistic innovation, intellectual subtlety and original perception of things and of life. The three novellas here represent all that is newest in Indian fiction.

Maythil was awarded the 2015 annual award for his contributions to Malayalam literature by Kerala Sahitya Akademi in 2016 which he refused, citing his distrust in academies.

Novels