Chandrika Balan (born 17 January 1954) is an Indian writer who has published books in English and

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 wa ...

, under the pen name Chandramathi, ചന്ദ്രമതി in

. She is a writer of fiction, a translator, and

critic A critic is a person who communicates an assessment and an opinion of various forms of creative works such as art, literature, music, cinema, theater, fashion, architecture, and food. Critics may also take as their subject social or govern ...

in English and Malayalam. Chandramathi has published four books in English and 20 in Malayalam, including 12 collections of short stories, an anthology of medieval Malayalam poetry, two collections of essays, two memoirs, and five books translated from English. The Malayalam film ''

Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela ''Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela'' ( en, An Intermission In the Land of Crabs) is a 2017 Indian Malayalam-language dramedy film directed and co-written by Althaf Salim. It stars Nivin Pauly, Shanthi Krishna, Lal, Ahaana Krishna, and Aishwar ...

'' was based on her book.

Biography

Chandramathi was born in

Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...

, Kerala. She graduated in English Language and Literature from the

University of Kerala 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, Chi ...

in 1976. In 1988 she received her PhD, from the University of Kerala. She was Professor of English literature at All Saints' College, Thriuvananthapuram. From 1993 to 1994 she served as Executive Editor of ''Medieval Indian Literature''. She has been Malayalam teacher in NSS Public school Perunthanni, Thiruvananthapuram She received the Professor Sivaprasad Foundation Award for Most Outstanding Teacher in 1999 and Alumni Association of St. Berchmans College's award for Best College Teacher in Kerala in 2002. In 1998 she visited Sweden with a team of 10 Indian writers under the

Sahitya Akademi The Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India. Founded on 12 March 1954, it is supported by, though independent of, the Indian government. Its of ...

's cultural exchange programme. The visit inspired her to write the short story "Reindeer".

Awards

* Thoppil Ravi Foundation Award (1995) * V.P.Sivakumar Smaraka Keli award for The Best Short Story of the Year (1996) * Katha National Award for fiction and translation (1997) * The State Bank of Travancore Literary Award for the Best Collection of fiction, 1997. (1998) * Odakkuzhal Award for the Best Work, 1998. * The Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Best Fiction-1996-1998. (1999) * The Muthukulam Parvathy Amma Award for the Best Woman Writer of 2003. (2004) * A.P.Kalakkad Award for the Best Fiction. (2004) * Kerala Sahitya Akademi C.B.Kumar Endowment Award for the Best collection of Essays. (2005) * Padmarajan Puraskaram for the Best Short Fiction of 2006. (2007) * Kairali Award (New York) for the Best Writer in Malayalam (2007) * Avaneebala Puraskaram for the best woman writer (2009) * O.V.Vijayan Puraskaram for the best work of short fiction. The Indian Express. 23 October 2016. * The first Snehathalam Award for Excellence in the field of Literary Works. 20i8

Selected works

Books in English

* ''V. K. Krishna Menon''. (Co-Author). Madras: Macmillan, 1990. * ''Best-Loved Stories''. (Co-Editor). Madras: Anu Chitra, 1991. * ''The Private Garden : Family in Post-war British Drama''. (Author). New Delhi: Academic Foundation, 1993. * ''Critical Spectrum: Responses to Contemporary Literary Theories''. (Editor). Calcutta : Papyrus, 1993. * ''Arya and Other Stories''. Hyderabad: Orient Blackswan, 2014.

Books in Malayalam: fiction

* ''Aryavarthanam''.

rya Repeated Rya or RYA may refer to: Biology * Rya sheep, breed of sheep native to Sweden * ''Rya'', a genus in subfamily Blennocampinae People * Rya Kihlstedt (born 1970), American actress * Rya W. Zobel (born 1931), judge of the United States District C ...

Kottayam:

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 ...

, 1995. * ''Devigramam''. illage of the GoddessKottayam: DC Books, 1997. * ''Reindeer''. Calicut: Mulberry, 1998. * ''Swayam, Swantham''. e, Mine Trivandrum: Prabhath Books, 1999. * ''Vethaalakathakal''.

ales From the Vetaal Ales may refer to: Places * Alès, a town and commune in southern France * Ales, Sardinia, a small town in the province of Oristano on Sardinia in Italy People with the surname * Alexander Ales (1500–1565), Scottish theologian * Mikoláš Ale� ...

Thrissur : Current Books, 1999. * ''Daivam Swargathil''.

God is in His Heaven In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...

Kottayam: DC Books, 2000. * ''Thattarakkudiyile Vigrahangal''. he Idols of the Blacksmiths' Street Kollam: Sankeertanam- Publishers, 2002. * ''Annayude Athazhavirundu''. nna's Banquet Kottyam: DC Books,2006. * ''Ente Priyappetta Kathakal''.

Stories Dear to Me Story or stories may refer to: Common uses * Story, a narrative (an account of imaginary or real people and events) ** Short story, a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting * Story (American English), or storey (British ...

Kottayam: DC Books * ''Chandramathiyude Kathakal''. ompilation all the stories Kottayam: DC Books, 2009. * ''Ivide Oru Techie''.

A Techie Here A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...

Kottayam: DC Books, 2010. * ''Sherlock Holmes''.

tories for children A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. The ...

Calicut : Poorna Publications, 2010. Aparnayude Thadavarakal(Aswathiyudethum) The Prison houses of Aparna; Aswathy's Too. NOVEL Kottayam: DCBooks 2013 * Ningal Nireekshanathilaanu" You are Under Surveillance Kottayam: DC Books, 2017

Books in Malayalam: non-fiction

* ''Madhyakaala Malayala Kavitha''. edieval Malayalam Poetry(Co-Editor). New Delhi :

National Book Trust National Book Trust (NBT) is an Indian publishing house, which was founded in 1957 as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Education of the Government of India. The activities of the Trust include publishing, promotion of books and reading, ...

, 1998. * ''Perilla Prasnangal''.

Problems without a Name A problem is a difficulty which may be resolved by problem solving. Problem(s) or The Problem may also refer to: People * Problem (rapper), (born 1985) American rapper Books * Problems (Aristotle), ''Problems'' (Aristotle), an Aristotelian (or ps ...

Thrissur: Current Books, 2003. * ''Njandukalude Naattil Oru Idavela''. An Interval in the Land of the Crabs : Cancer memoirs Kottayam: DC Books,2006. * ''Sooryarajaavinte Pranayini''.

he Lover of the Sun-God He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...

Kottayam : DC Books, 2007. * ''Njan Oru Veedu''.

, A House The comma is a punctuation mark that appears in several variants in different languages. It has the same shape as an apostrophe or single closing quotation mark () in many typefaces, but it differs from them in being placed on the baseline o ...

(Childhood Memoirs). Trichur: H&C, 2010. Oliverude Diarykkurippukal.

Ruskin Bond's novel Mr. Oliver's Diary Ruskin may refer to: Surname *Surname Ruskin, also Russkin, Russkina, Ruskina. The name occurs especially in Russia, United States and some Asian countries. *John Ruskin (1819–1900), an English author, poet and artist, most famous for his wor ...

Kottayam: DC Books,2011. The latest Malayalam movie of Nivin Pauly—Njandukalude Nattil Oru Idavela is based on Chandramati's well-known memoirs titled Njandukalude Nattil Oru Idavela which is an autobiographical story of her long fight with cancer and survival.

Books in Malayalam: translations

* ''Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai''. (Monograph by K. Ayyappa Paniker). Kottayam : DC Books, 1992. * ''Janu''. (Novel by Menon Marath). Thrissur :

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 ...

, 2003. * ''Vanchana''. (Harold Pinter's play : ''The Betrayal''). Trivandrum : Chintha Publishers, 2008. * ''Unmeshadinangal''. ( Laurent Graff's novel Happy Days). Kottayam : DC Books, 2010. * ''Kazhinja Kaalangal''. (Harold Pinter's play Old Times) Trivandrum: Chintha Publishers, 2010.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Chandramathi 1954 births Living people Writers from Thiruvananthapuram Malayalam-language writers English-language writers from India Indian self-help writers Indian women short story writers 20th-century Indian translators Indian literary critics Malayalam novelists Malayalam short story writers Malayalam literary critics Indian women novelists Indian women critics 20th-century Indian short story writers 20th-century Indian women writers 20th-century Indian novelists Women writers from Kerala Indian women translators 21st-century Indian women writers 21st-century Indian writers 21st-century Indian translators 21st-century Indian short story writers 21st-century Indian novelists 21st-century Indian poets Indian women poets 21st-century Indian biographers Indian autobiographers Women autobiographers Indian women non-fiction writers Women biographers Indian children's writers Indian women children's writers 20th-century Indian biographers Novelists from Kerala Poets from Kerala