Vijayalakshmi (born 2 August 1960) is a Malayalam–language poet from the south

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

n state of

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 ...

Life

Vijayalakshmi was born on 2 August 1960 in

Mulanthuruthy Mulanthuruthy, also spelt Mulamthuruthy, is a south-eastern suburb of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. The historic Marthoman church is located here. Chottanikkara Temple is situated nearby Mulanthuruthy. Location It is about 15 km so ...

village in

Ernakulam district Ernakulam, ; ISO: ''Eṟaṇākuḷaṁ'', in Malayalam: എറണാകുളം), is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala, that takes its name from the eponymous city division in Kochi. It is situated in the central part ...

as the daughter of Kuzhikkattil Raman Velayudhan and Kamalakshi. She completed her education from

Chottanikkara Chottanikkara ( ml, ചോറ്റാനിക്കര) is a town and southern suburb of the city of Kochi, Kerala, India. In local administration, it is a panchayat which consists of Chottanikkara, Kanayannur, Eruvely, Kureekkad, Vattukkunnu ...

Government High School, St. Teresa's College, Ernakulam and Maharajas College. She completed her graduation in Biology and obtained her masters 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 S ...

with a first rank from

Kerala University University of Kerala, formerly the University of Travancore, is a state-run public university located in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital of Kerala, India. It was established in 1937 by a promulgation of the Maharajah of Travancore, Chit ...

. She is married to Balachandran Chullikkadu, a known Malayalam poet.

Literary career

Her poem was first published in 1977 in '' Kalakaumudi'' weekly. During her graduation period, she won prizes in the Kerala University Youth Festival in story-writing and poetry. She has published numerous poems in Malayalam. She was a member of the Executive Committee and General Council of

Kerala Sahitya Akademi The Kerala Sahitya Akademi or Academy for Malayalam literature is an autonomous body established to promote the Malayalam language and literature. It is situated in City of Thrissur, Kerala in India. History The academy was inaugurated on 15 ...

. She has also held various other posts in the Academy, such as its Advisory Board Member and the Convener of its Publication Committee. She also served as Vice President of the Samastha Kerala Sahitya Parishad. Many of Vijayalakshmi's poems try to establish gender-equality and question the dichotomy on women. Literary critic M. Leelavathy lauds the concept of feminism in Vijayalakshmi as a continuation of the feminism of the Malayalam poet Balamani Amma.

Works

* ''Mrigasikshakan'' (1992,

Mulberry Publications Shelvy (1960 – 21 August 2003) was an Indian publisher, poet, novelist and short story writer in Malayalam, Malayalam–language. He owned the Calicut-based Mulberry Publications, a renowned publication house that promoted many new Malayalam aut ...

Calicut Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second l ...

) * ''Thachante Makal'' (1992,

DC Books DC Books is a publisher in Kerala publisher of books in Malayalam, and one of the publishers in India . It also operates one of the largest book store chains in India, with a network of over 45 bookshops under the DC Books and Current Books b ...

, Kottayam) * ''Mazhathan Mattetho Mukham'' (1999, DC Books, Kottayam) * ''Himasamadhi'' (2001, DC Books, Kottayam) * ''Anthyapralobhanam'' (2002, DC Books, Kottayam) * ''Ottamanalthari'' (2003, DC Books, Kottayam) * ''Anna Akhmatovayude Kavithakal'' (2001, DC Books, Kottayam, Trans.) * ''Andhakanyaka'' (2006, DC Books, Kottayam) * ''Mazhaykkappuram'' (2010) (2010, DC Books, Kottayam) * ''Vijayalakshmiyude Kavithakal'' (2010, DC Books, Kottayam) * ''Jnana Magdalena'' (2013, DC Books, Kottayam) * '' Seethadarsanam'' (2016, DC Books, Kottayam) * '' vijayalakshmiyude Pranayakavithakal'' (2018, DC Books, Kottayam)

Awards

*1992: Lalithambika Sahitya Award *1990: Ankanam Sahitya Award *1994:

Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award is given each year, since 1958, by the Kerala Sahitya Akademi (Kerala Literary Academy), to Malayalam writers for their outstanding books of literary merit. The awards are given in various categories.

*1995: Vyloppilly Award *1995: Changampuzha Award *1995: Indira Gandhi Sahitya Award *1997: V. T. Bhattathirippad Award *2001: P. Kunhiraman Nair Award for ''Mazhathan Mattetho Mukham'' *2010: Bala Sahitya Institute Award *2010: Ulloor Award *2011: A. Ayyappan Poetry Award *2011: Krishnageethi Award *2013: Library Council Literary Award *2013: O. V. Vijayan Sahitya Puraskaram for ''Vijayalakshmiyude Kavithakal''

References

External links

Vijayalakshmi: A devout feminist
(Unnikrishnan Atiyodi in ''Kerala Calling'' March 2014) * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Vijayalakshmi 1960 births Living people 20th-century Indian poets Malayali people People from Ernakulam district Poets from Kerala Malayalam-language writers Malayalam poets Recipients of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award Indian women poets 21st-century Indian poets 20th-century Indian women writers 21st-century Indian women writers 21st-century Indian writers Women writers from Kerala Maharaja's College, Ernakulam alumni St. Teresa's College alumni