Name Maythil Radhakrishnan | Education University of Kerala | |
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Maythil Radhakrishnan aka Rad Maythil (born 24 July 1944), popularly known as Maythil (Malayalam: മേതില് രാധകൃഷ്ണന്), born in Pudiyankom (Alathur, Palakkad district of Kerala), is an all-rounder in Malayalam literature, who writes poetry and fiction as well as non-fiction. He was chosen for the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Overall Contributions in 2016 which he subsequently refused.
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Biography
Maythil did his graduation in Economics from Kerala University in 1968. For the next eight years, he did research in 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, Youth Express of The New Indian Express (then The Indian Express) group, at Trivandrum and Chennai, Maythil has spent his time mostly in writing; on occasions working as a freelance journalist, quizmaster and a web developer. He writes popular columns in The Sunday Express (Zebra Crossing, now available online as a social network created by the author himself) and in Madhyamam Weekly (Moonnu Vara a.k.a. Three Stripes). Presently he lives in Trivandrum. He is a widower and has a daughter (June) and a son (Julian).
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.