Edasseri Govindan Nair

Edasseri Govindan Nair (23 December 1906 – 16 October 1974) was an Indian poet and playwright of Malayalam literature. Known as one of the major poets of Malayalam, Edasseri was a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Poetry. He was also a recipient of Asan Smaraka Kavitha Puraskaram, which was awarded posthumously.

Biography

Edasseri Govindan Nair was born on 23 December 1906 at Kuttippuram, in Malapuram district in the south Indian state of Kerala to P. Krishna Kurup and Edasseri Kunjukutti Amma in a family with poor financial means. Govindan got his family name, Edasseri, through matrilineal succession.

He did not have much formal education due to the death of his father in 1921 when he was only 15 years old and started his career early as an assistant to a relative, who worked in Alappuzha. However, he compensated for the lack of formal education with hard work with voracious reading, learning Sanskrit and English on his own taking help from his friends, constantly engaging in debates on literature, criticism, science, astronomy and even astrology. He spent 7 years in Alleppey before moving to Kozhikode. In early 1930, he moved to Ponani. It was during this time that he married Janaki Amma, the wedding taking place in 1938. He continued with his learning, debates and discussions in Ponani also.

Edasseri was associated with various literary and cultural forums. He was among the poets who changed the romantic traits of Malayalam poetry to realism. His narrative style, as shown in his poems such as Poothapattu, Panimudakkam, Kalyana Pudava, Karutha Chettichikal and Kavile Pattu, was reported to reflect strong humanism.

Govindan Nair - Janaki Amma couple had eleven children, though only eight survived infancy. He died on 16 October 1974, at the age of 67. and a year later, Sahitya Akademi awarded him their annual award for 1969 for Kavile Pattu, another of his anthology. He was awarded Asan Smaraka Kavitha Puraskaram posthumously in 1979, five years after his death, for the anthology, Anthithiri. Puthankalavum Arivalum Poothappattum (പുത്തൻ കലവും അരിവാളും പൂതപ്പാട്ടും)(New Pot and Sickle) - 1951 Laghu Ganangal (Simple Songs) - 1954 Karutha Chettichikal (Dark Nomad Women) - 1955 Thathwa Shastrangal Urangumbol (As Philosophies Sleep) -1961 Kavile Pattu (Song of the Grove) - 1966 Oru Pidi Nellikka (A handful of Gooseberries) - 1968 Thrivikramannu Munnil (In front of Thrivikrama) - 1971 Kunkuma Prabhatham (The Vermilion Dawn) - 1975 Anthithiri (Ritual Wick of Dusk) – 1977 Edasseriyude Sampoorna Kavithakal (Complete Poetic Works of Edasseri) - 1988 Malayalathinte Priya Kavithakal (Endearing poems of Malayalam) - 2013.

Plays

Noolamala (The Entanglement) -1947 Koottu Krishi (Co-operative Farming) - 1950 Kaliyum Chiriyum (Fun and Laughter) - One-act plays- 1954 Ennichutta Appam ( Limited Means) - One-act plays- 1957 Chaliyathi (The Weaver Woman) - One-act plays- 1960 Njediyil Padaratha Mulla (Jasmine Vine that does not climb the prop) - 1964 Jarasandhante Puthri (Daughter of Jarasandhan) - Radio Play- 1970s Khatolkachan 1970s Edasseriyude Naadakangal - 2001

Other books Edasseriyude Prabandhangal (Essays of Edasseri) - 1988 Edasseriyude Cherukathakal (Short stories of Edasseri) – 2015

Books on Edasseri Govindan Nair Edasseri - Navabhavukathwathinte Kavi (Literary criticism by Prof. P. Meerakutty) Edasseri Govindan Nair (book in English on the poet by M. Leelavathi) Edasseriyude Kavyalokam (book on Edasseri poems by K. P. Saraschandran) Itha Oru Kavi (essays on Edasseri by eminent writers) Edasserikkavitha - Shilpavicharam by K. P. Mohanan Edasserikkavitha - a collection of essays by various writers compiled by Kavadayar Ramachandran Edasseri Ninavil Varumpol - (Essays on Edasseri) Edasserikkavitha (Literary criticism by Melath Chandrasekharan) Edasserikavithayile Premeyaghatana (Literary criticism by Chathanath Achuthanunni)