T. R. Sankunni

T. R. Sankunni was an Indian writer and educationist. He was known in various fields including science writing, children's literature, novelist, and teacher. He has won the National Award for Children's Literature, Award of the Kerala State Institute of Children's Literature, the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Children's Literature, and the Urub Award

Biography T. R. Sankunni was born on February 12, 1935, in Karalam village near Irinjalakuda in present-day Thrissur district of Kerala to Thevaruparambil Ravunni and Chittikapil Ishwariamma. After passing his intermediate examination at Cherpp CNN School, his studies were interrupted for two years due to financial constraints. During that time, he spent most of his time in the library. He became interested in English literature and read world classics during that time. Although he was more interested in Malayalam literature, he graduated from the Veterinary College and became a teacher there.

Personal life and death Sankunni and his wife Radha, a member of the Palathinkal family in Aluva have three children, Jayashankar, Director of the Forest Research Institute, Walayar, Dr. Maya, Professor of Anatomy at Mannuthi Vettinari College, and S. Priya, an advocate. He died on April 4, 2026, at the age of 91.

Literary Contributions Sankunni's main literary works include six popular science books, including the Shastra Gopurathinte Rajashilpikal, fifteen children's literature books including Vayuinte Katha, which won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award and the National Award, and Hitopadesha Katha, which won the Kerala State Children's Literature Award, and fifteen novels, including Veda Sakshi, which won the Urub Award. The novel is being criticized because the characters in the novel has some similarities with some familiar figures related to him. In 2004, DC Books selected and published seventy-five novels out of the nearly five thousand novels published in Malayalam up to that point, and one of them was Nakshatra Bungalow.

The early three novels were written under the pen name Revathi.

Selected works Novels

Children's literature

Based on life of Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri. Based on life of Chimmukkutti, wife of Sakthan Thampuran. Based on life of Seetha of Ramayana. Based on life of Krishna.

Science

Awards and honors Sankunni has won the National Award for Children's Literature, Award of the Kerala State Institute of Children's Literature, the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, and the Urub Award.