K. A. Beena

K. A. Beena is an Indian author, journalist, and columnist who writes in Malayalam on a variety of topics, particularly social issues affecting women. Her publications include memoirs, magazine articles, travelogues, children's books, essay collections, short stories, and history books about journalism and media. She is now retired as deputy director for the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting's Bureau of Outreach and Communication. Her husband, Baiju Chandran, is now retired from Doordarshan as deputy director of Doordarshan Thiruvanandapuram. They have at least one child, filmmaker Ritwik Baiju.

Career Beena started writing in her early school days, completing Beena Kanda Russia, a travelogue, at the age of 13. It published for the first time in 1981. The book recounts her experiences of attending the International Children's camp at Artek in the Ukrainian SSR in 1977. In 1987, she became the assistant editor for Kerala Kaumudi women's magazine and moved to the Mathrubhumi Printing And Publishing Company in 1989. In 1991, she joined the Indian Information Service for the Government of India and worked as the news editor of All India Radio and Doordarshan. She also worked in the Press Information Bureau and Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity.

Beena is a regular columnist in many Malayalam-language publications, including the Kerala Kaumudi daily Adayalangal, the Mathrubhumi online Akakazcha, the Manorama online Vakkukalkappuram, and the Deshabhimani weekly Vazhivilakku. She has also contributed to Vanitha, Kanyaka, and the Deshabhimani daily Malayalam news. Beena travels to villages around India and writes about the rural settings. Her 2008 travelogue Brahmaputhrayile veedu is of her travel experiences in Northeast India; others include Chuvadukal and Nadi Thinnunna Dweep. Her book on Vaikom Muhammed Basheer, Basheer Enna Anugraham, is a memoir and tribute to the writer and details their unusual friendship. and Date line – Charithathe Chirakilettiyavar contains biographies of 17 veteran journalists in Kerala.

She is now retired as deputy director of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting's Bureau of Outreach and Communication.

Awards 2010: Akashvani Annual Award for best script, Prasar Bharati 2018: Athirthiyude Athiru – memoir, 2019: Kathakal – Stort Stories 2021: Pathrajeevithangal - Media history 2022: Miliyude Aaakasham – children's literature 2022: Rosum Koottukarum – children's literature, 2023: Venalil Pootha Maram – Children's Novel 2023: Unmadiyude munnile Alice – Essays 2023: Oh Mihrin– Children's Literature 2024: Aa Kasera Aarudethanu? - Travelogue, Village studies 2024: Mannequin - Short Stories