V. K. N.

Who was V. K. N.?

Vadakkke Koottala Narayanankutty Nair, commonly known as V.K.N., was a Malayalam writer, noted mainly for his high-brow satire. He wrote novels, short stories and political commentaries. His works are noted for their multi-layered humour, trenchant criticism of the socio-political classes and ability to twist the meanings of words contextually and lend a touch of magic to his language.

A native of Kerala in south India, V.K.N. was born on 6 April 1932 in Thiruvilwamala in Thrissur district. After completing his matriculation, he joined the Malabar Devaswom Board and worked there for 9 years. Like a number of modern Malayalam writers such as O. V. Vijayan, V.K.N. spent many years in New Delhi as an English journalist. The experiences he gained during these years, which coincided with the nascent post-independent India, are reflected in his book, Pitamahan. He entered Malayalam literature in 1955.