Ashitha (writer)


Ashitha was an Indian writer of Malayalam literature, best known for her short stories, poems and translations. She contributed in popularising haiku poems in Malayalam through her translations and her stories were known for the sensitive portrayal of life. She was a recipient of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Story as well as other honours including Padmarajan Award, Lalithambika Anterjanam Smaraka Sahitya Award and Edasseri Award.

Biography

Ashitha was born on 5 April 1956 in Pazhayannur in Trichur district of south Indian state of Kerala to Kazhangottu Balachandran Nair, a defence accounts officer and Thekkekarupath Thankamani Amma. She completed her schooling from Delhi and Bombay and obtained her graduate and master's degrees in English literature from Maharaja's College, Ernakulam.
Ashitha was married to K. V. Ramankutty, an academic, and the couple had a daughter, Uma Praseedha. She was diagnosed with cancer in 2013 and was undergoing treatment following a relapse at a private hospital in Thrissur when she died on 27 March 2019, at the age of 62, survived by her husband, daughter and son-in-law.

Legacy

Ashitha, who authored over 20 books, was known to have portrayed her life experiences through her short stories and poems. Counted among the most prominent women writers in Malayalam after Kamala Surayya and best known for her short stories, she translated a number of works of Alexander Pushkin and Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī as well as many haiku poems. She also adapted Ramayana, Bhagavatam, Jataka tales and Aithihyamala for children. Her biography, Athu Njanayirunnu, was published by Shihabuddin Poythumkadavu, in the form of an interview.

Awards

Ponnani Edasseri Smaraka Samithi selected Ashitha's work, Vismaya Chhihnangal for Edasseri Award in 1986 and she received the Lalithambika Anterjanam Smaraka Sahitya Award in 1994. Her short story anthology, Thathagatha, fetched her the Padmarajan Award in 2000. Kerala Sahitya Akademi selected Ashithayude Kathakal, another short story anthology, for its annual award for story in 2015. She was also a recipient of Ankanam Award and Thoppil Ravi Foundation Award.

Short stories

*