Elavunkal Joseph Philip ( ml, ഇലവുങ്കൽ ജോസഫ്‌ ഫിലിപ്പ്‌) (13 June 1926 – 13 June 1987), popularly known by his

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

Kanam EJ, was a

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...

novelist,

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...

writer, and lyricist. Along with his contemporary, Muttathu Varkey, he was known for a genre of sentiment-filled romantic fiction known as ''painkili (janapriya) novel'' in

Malayalam literature Malayalam, the lingua franca of the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puduchery, is one of the six Classical languages of India. Malayalam literature comprises those literary texts written in Malayalam, a Sou ...

, written with the common man in mind. Philip started the well known

weekly ''Manorajyam'' and served as its editor.

Early life and career

Philip was born on 13 June 1926 as the son of Elavunkal Joseph in Kanam, a small village in

Kottayam district Kottayam (), is one of 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala. Kottayam district comprises six municipal towns: Kottayam, Changanassery, Pala, Erattupetta, Ettumanoor, and Vaikom. It is the only district in Kerala that neither borders the ...

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

. He attended MHSS

Kangazha Kangazha is a panchayath and village in the Changanacherry Taluk of the Kottayam District of Kerala State in India. It is located 21 kilometers east of Kottayam and 10 kilometers north of Karukachal. It lies midway between the back ...

and passed Malayalam Higher. After schooling he joined military service. He return to

Kottayam Kottayam () is a municipal town in the Indian state of Kerala. Flanked by the Western Ghats on the east and the Vembanad Lake and paddy fields of Kuttanad on the west. It is the district headquarters of Kottayam district, located in south- ...

after the military service and joined CMS Middle School Kanam, as a teacher. Later he served as Malayalam Pandit in CMS schools of Mundakayam, Kumpalampoika,

Punnavely Punnavely is a village in Thiruvalla Constituency situated on the border of Pathanamthitta and Kottayam districts of Kerala, India. Punnavely is a typical Central Tranvancore village with rubber tree plantations, paddy fields, pepper and oth ...

and

. Philip quit teaching and joined the popular Malayalam Weekly

Malayala Manorama ''Malayala Manorama'' is a morning newspaper in Malayalam published from Kottayam, Kerala, India by the Malayala Manorama Company Limited. Currently headed by Mammen Mathew; it was first published as a weekly on 22 March 1888, and currently has ...

as a journalist. In 1967 he resigned from Malayala Manorama and started his own Malayalam Weekly called ''Manorajyam''. He later sold it to George Thomas of ''Keraladwani''.

Literary career

Kanam emerged as one of the popular writers of Malayalam fiction during the 1960s and 1970s. He mainly wrote social novels based on the Christian community of

. He was a prolific writer and has written about 100 novels. Almost all of his novels were published in serial installments (''Neendakatha'') in

Weekly. One of his novels, '' Bharya'', was adapted into a

Malayalam film Malayalam cinema is an Indian cinema, Indian film industry of Malayalam-language motion pictures. It is based in Kochi, Kerala, India. The films produced in Malayalam cinema are known for their cinematography and story-driven plots. In 1982, ...

with the same title. The 1962 film was directed by

Kunchacko Kunchacko (19 February 1912 – 15 June 1976) was an Indian film producer and director who worked in the Malayalam film industry. His venture Udaya Studios influenced the gradual shift of Malayalam film industry from its original base of Madra ...

and starring Sathyan and Ragini. Kanam also wrote lyrics to few Malayalam films.

Death

Kanam died on his 61st birthday in 1987.

Selected works

*''Pampanathi Panjozhukunnu'' *''Ee Arayekkar Nintethanu'' *''Nee Bhoomiyude Uppakunnu'' *''Bharthavu'' *''Bharya'' *''Adhyapika'' *''Kaattumaram''

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kanam E. J. 1926 births 1987 deaths Malayalam-language writers Indian male novelists Malayalam novelists Malayalam-language lyricists 20th-century Indian novelists People from Kottayam district Novelists from Kerala 20th-century Indian male writers