Satheesh Babu Payyannur

Satheesh Babu Payyannur (13 August 1963 – 24 November 2022) was a Malayalam–language short story writer and novelist from Kerala, India. His works include the novels Mannu, Daivappura, Manja Sooryante Naalukal and Kudamanikal Kilungiya Raavil, and the short story collections Peramaram, Vrishchikam Vannu Vilichu and Mazhayilundaya Makal. His oeuvre consists of 12 novels and around 200 short stories. His mother Parvathi hailed from Pathirippala and his father Vasudevan Namboodiri from Payyannur, Kannur district, Kerala. He worked at the Sreekandapuram and Thrikaripur branches of SBT before being transferred to the Trivandrum branch in 1991. However, Padmarajan had died around this time. Nonetheless, Payyannur continued to pursue his interest in cinema, writing the screenplay for the 1992 film Nakshthrakoodaram, which was directed by Padmarajan's assistant Joshy Mathew. Additionally, Payyannur wrote the dialogues for the 1993 live-action animated film O' Faby. Another notable series was European Sketchukal (European Sketches). Panorama also published a magazine named Kerala Panorama from Trivandrum and has a YouTube channel by the same name.

During his tenure at the State Bank of Travancore, Payyannur was active in promoting literary events sponsored by the bank and in organising the annual SBT Literary Award. Payyannur was a member of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi and the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy.

Death Payyannur was found dead in his flat at Vanchiyoor near Trivandrum on 24 November 2022. A case was registered for unnatural death, but it was later declared that he died from a heart attack. His last rites were held at Paramekkavu Santhighat in Thrissur. He was survived by his wife Girija, a retired school teacher, and his daughter Varsha, who lives in Pune. He was also in talks with publishers about releasing a complete collection of his short stories to coincide with his 60th birthday. and his writing soon garnered the attention and admiration of readers through the publication of numerous stories in various periodicals. In total, he published around 200 stories,

"Peramaram" ("The Guava Tree"), first published in the Mathrubhumi Illustrated Weekly in April 1989, tells the tale of Kunjuraman Nambiar, Meenakshi Amma, and their beloved guava tree, and the loneliness they face in their old age. The collection Mazhayilundaya Makalum Mattu Mazhakathakalum was published posthumously in January 2023.

Novels Payyannur wrote his early novels such as Daivappura, Manja Sooryante Naalukal, Mannu, and Vilapavrikshathile Kaattu during the second half of the 1980s while living in Kannur and Kasargod districts. His other novels include Ulkhananangal and Kudamanikal Kilungiya Raavil (On the Night When the Bells Tolled), with Ulkhananangal, written during the opening of vaults of the Padmanabhaswamy temple, based on the history of Payyannur and Payyannur Pattu. Moonnu Pranaya Novelettukal is a collection of three short romantic novels—Aval Neeraja (She, Neeraja), Ethetho Pulinangalil, and Sana, the latter based on a same-sex romantic relationship.

The last published work during his lifetime was Kamal Haasan Abhinayikkathe Poya Oru Cinema (A Film in Which Kamal Haasan Did Not Act) which is a collection of ten novellas including Kamal Haasan Abhinayikkathe Poya Oru Cinema, Oru Asambandha Online Padam (A Ridiculous Online Movie), Sana, Ulahannanum Njanum (Ulahannan and Me), Idanazhiyude Ingeyattathu (On this End of the Corridor), Nadakam (Drama), Thaniye (Alone), Ethetho Pulinangalil and Mazhayude Neenda Viralukal (The Long Fingers of the Rain). Chila Silkian Ninavukal (Some Silk Memories) is a collection of essays and memoirs including the memoirs about P. Kunhiraman Nair, Silk Smitha and Padmarajan.

Awards 1985: Karoor Award by Sahithya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society for "Daivam" 2014: Abu Dhabi Sakthi Award for Novel for Ulkhananangal 2017: Malayattoor Award for Khamaruneesayude Koottukari 2018: Thoppil Ravi Award for Photo Kerala Sahitya Vedi Award for Mannu