Poet Ezhacheri Ramachandran has won this year’s Vayalar Ramavarma Memorial Literary Award for his collection of poems Oru Virginian Veyilkaalam.
The jury was unanimous in selecting the winner for the 44th edition of the award, writer Perumbadavam Sreedharan, who heads the Vayalar Ramavarma Memorial Trust which has instituted the prize, told a press conference here on Saturday.
The award, which commemorates the celebrated poet and lyricist, comprises a purse of ₹1 lakh and a statuette designed by sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman. The panel of judges consisted of K.P. Mohanan, secretary, Kerala Sahitya Akademi, N. Mukundan, and Ambalappuzha Gopakumar.
Reflecting angst
Mr. Mohanan said the jury was pleased to select a poet who was in harmony with the poetic tradition of Vayalar Ramavarma in themes, ideological stance, and use of language. Several poems in Oru Virginian Veyilkaalam dealt with the angst of people, like the Rohingyas, who did not have a land to call their own, he said.
In treading his own poetic path, Mr. Ramachandran possessed a clear concept of what and how Malayalam poetry should be in a global context, Mr. Gopakumar said. Mr. Mukundan said Mr. Ramachandran, in his poetry, attempted to portray the rigours, brutality, and the compassion of contemporary life through his own perspective.
Governor Arif Mohammed Khan will present the award to Mr. Ramachandran on October 27, the death anniversary of Vayalar Ramavarma.
