U K Kumaran recieves Vayalar Award

Thiruvananthapuram: The Vayalar Award was conferred on writer

U K Kumaran

for his novel Thakshankunnu Swaroopam at a function held here on Thursday. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh, a bronze statuette and citation.

Vayalar Ramavarma Memorial Trust

president Prof M K Sanoo, who presented the award, said Kumaran's comprehensive work was an authentic reflection of history and society. "U K Kumaran's novel is truly a mirror carried along a high road," he said quoting

Stendhal

, a 19th century French writer.

Kumaran said he had to take a long journey backwards to depict the life in a remote village in north

Malabar

in the previous century. "Writing a novel in this modern era with all the technology and information is not a difficult task. But I had to take an in-depth journey into the life of over 100 characters going through the freedom movement and various other social reforms," Kumaran said.

Trust secretary

C V Thrivikraman

, while presenting the report, urged the state government to provide adequate financial support to cultural organisations 'which are playing a vital role in enriching the Malayalam language and literature'. The occasion also witnessed the launch of the trust's website.