M. K. Menon

Moorkkanaat Krishnankutty Menon (23 June 1928 – 13 May 1993), better known by his pen name Vilasini, was an Indian writer from Kerala who wrote in Malayalam-language. He is the author of India's longest novel, Avakasikal (The Inheritors), for which he won the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award in 1981 and Vayalar Award in 1983. His first novel Niramulla Nizhalukal won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 1966.

Biography M. K. Menon was born in Karumathra, near Vadakkancherry, British India. He got his degree in Mathematics in 1947 from St. Thomas College, Trichur. In 1953 he left for Singapore where he started his life as the editor of the English monthly called Indian Movie News. Two years later, he became the sub-editor at the French News service Agence France-Presse (AFP) Vilasini followed the examples of James Joyce and Virginia Woolf in his novels. His best known work is Avakasikal (The Inheritors). It runs 3958 pages, in four volumes, and is the longest novel in the Indian language.

Vilasini also translated many novels into Malayalam, including Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo and The Blind Owl (Boof-e koor) by Sadegh Hedayat.

Published works

Novels Avakasikal (Inheritors) Oonjaal (Swing) Thudakkam (Beginning) Inaangaatta Kannikal Chundeli Yathramukham Niramulla Nizhalukal

Others Kaithiri (poems) Uthirmanikal (essays) Novalilekkoru Kilivaathil (essays) Prathyakshavalkaranam Novelil (essays) Swa-le (journalism) Sahashayanam (translation of Kawabata Yasunari's Japanese novel) Kurudan Moonga (translation of the Persian novel Boof-e koor (The Blind Owl) by Sadegh Hedayat) Pedroparamo (translation of the Spanish novel Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo)

Achievements Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award (1966) for Niramulla Nizhalukal Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award (1981) for Avakaasikal Vayalar Award (1983) for Avakaasikal