Methil Radhakrishnan wins Ezhuthachan Puraskaram for outstanding contribution to Malayalam literature

Thiruvananthapuram: Acclaimed author Methil Radhakrishnan has been selected for this year's Ezhuthachan Puraskaram, Kerala’s highest literary honour. Announcing the award, Minister for Culture P C Vishnunath stated that the accolade recognises Methil’s exceptional contributions to the Malayalam language and literature.

The award carries a cash prize of ₹5 lakh, a citation, and a plaque. Kerala Sahitya Akademi president Kalpatta Narayanan was also present at the press conference. A jury chaired by K G Sankara Pillai (KGS), with Kalpatta Narayanan, K Satchidanandan and Sarah Joseph as members, and M P Surendran as the member secretary, selected the award winner.

A literary journey of experimentation

Methil entered the literary sphere while awaiting his Class 10 examination results, penning a critique of Ponkunnam Varkey's autobiography ‘Ente Vazhithirivu’ for ‘Navayugam’ weekly. By the time the essay was published prominently, he had enrolled in his pre-university course. The name Methil Radhakrishnan quickly established itself as a distinctive, singular voice across generations of Malayalam readers.

He wrote his debut short story, ‘Octopussinte Shavam’ (The Octopus's Carcass), at the age of 18. Its striking prose and irony drew widespread interest from serious literary critics. After completing his pre-university and degree courses at Government Victoria College (Chittur), he began drafting his landmark novel ‘Suryavamsam’, during his final year of graduation. He completed the work while pursuing his master’s degree at Kerala Varma College, Thrissur.

While ‘Suryavamsam’ inspired a wave of literary imitators, Methil constantly evolved, moving into poetry, haikus, columns and popular science essays. Through works such as ‘Bra’, ‘Suryamatsyathe Vivarikkal’, ‘Albatrossinte Karachil’, ‘Dylan Thomasinte Panthu’, ‘Laimgikathayekurichu Oru Upanyasam’, ‘Moonnu Varakal’, ‘Daivam, Manushyan, Yanthram’, ‘Methil 19’, alongside collected stories and poetry volumes, he repeatedly reshaped contemporary Malayalam sensibilities.

The 'writer's writer' and his stance on literary awards

Often described as a “reclusive genius” and a “writer's writer”, Methil maintained a famously detached stance towards competitive literary prizes. In an earlier interview with Mathrubhumi.com regarding his absence from award lists, he reflected, “I could never view writing as a competition. That was my biggest issue. This isn’t a contest, is it? We aren't competing creatively in life; we are navigating diversity. Truthfully, every writer plays a completely different game. Where is the prize in that? One person plays cricket, another soccer, and another hockey. On what basis do you award a single prize? There are numerous technical flaws with it. Moreover, I've rarely felt that award-winning books truly deserved them. Perhaps their observation implied my book wasn't good enough. Either way, I have little interest in the concept of competition. Writing requires the same diversity as nature, where there is no comparison. There is no debate over whether an ant is cleverer than a rabbit—both are different. This element of comparison must be eliminated first.”