C. S. Gopala Panicker

C. S. Gopala Panicker (29 May 1872 – 30 January 1930) was a Malayalam-language short story writer from Kerala, India. Along with Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar, Oduvil Kunhikrishna Menon, Moorkoth Kumaran, Chenkulath Cheriya Kunhirama Menon (M. R. K. C.) and Ambadi Narayana Poduval, Panicker is regarded as a pioneer of the short story in Malayalam literature.

Life Early life Panicker was born in 1872 as the son of Peringattuveettil Narayana Panicker and Lakshmi Amma in Chittur taluk which is part of the present-day state of Kerala in India.After passing the Middle School Examination from Chittur, he studied at Peruvemba High School near Chittur and passed his matriculation from Palghat Victoria High School.

C. S. Gopala Panicker, Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar, Oduvil Kunhikrishna Menon, Moorkoth Kumaran, Chenkulath Cheriya Kunhirama Menon (M. R. K. C.) and Ambadi Narayana Poduval are widely regarded as pioneers of the short story in Malayalam literature. All of them were inspired by the emergence of short story as an important genre in Western literature, particularly the writings of Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allan Poe, etc. Panicker, along with E. V. Krishna Pillai and K. Sukumaran, is also said to have been a link between the old and new generations of story writers. Some of his short stories include "Melvilasom Maari", "Neelam Kuranja Kathu" and "Oru Muthalanayattu". "Swayam Prakashamulla Janthukkal", "Pakshikalude Aspathri", "Monaco" and "Japankaarum Avarude Chakravarthiyum" are some of the articles published. According to Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer, "Oru Muthalanayattu" published in Rasikaranjini is an important short story in Malayalam literature.