Award-winning tribal novelist from Kerala, Narayan, dies at 81

Well-known writer and Kerala Sahitya Academy awardee Narayan died on Tuesday, family sources said. He was 81.

Narayan, belonging to Malayarayar tribe, is considered as Kerala's first tribal novelist. He had worked with the Postal Department and retired in 1995.

His novel Kocharethi, published in 1998, won the Sahitya Academy award in 1999. The novel depicts the history and traditions of the Malayarayar tribal community in Kerala in the 20th century. Its English translation by Catherine Thankamma won the Economist Crossword Book Award in 2011.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan, among others, condoled the death. "His writings on living conditions of tribal communities were a reflection of their life experiences," Vijayan said.

Satheesan said Narayan was able to present the life experiences of the Malayarayar community before society through his novel Kocharethi. "Even though Kocharethi was the first novel of Narayan, he received many awards for the same. That novel has been translated into several languages and made part of the curriculum by many universities. His demise is an irreparable loss to Malayalam literature," Satheesan said.

Narayan has penned eight novels including Kocharethi and numerous short stories.