Vayalar Award for Benyamin
The Hindu
Benyamin will be presented the Vayalar Ramavarma Memorial Literary Award on October 27.
‘Manthalirile 20 Communist Varshangal,’ a novel by Benyamin, has won the 45th Vayalar Ramavarma Memorial Literary Award.
Instituted by the Vayalar Ramavarma Memorial Trust, the award commemorates the celebrated poet and lyricist. It carries a purse of ₹1 lakh, a bronze statuette crafted by the sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman and citation. The novel was selected for the 2021 edition of the coveted prize by a jury consisting of the writers K. R. Meera, George Onakkoor and C. Unnikrishnan.
In ‘Manthalirile 20 Communist Varshangal,’ Benyamin, who is best known for award-winning novels such as ‘Aadujeevitham’ (Goat Days) and ‘Mullappooniramulla Pakalukal’ (Jasmine Days) and short stories, presents the inhabitants of Manthalir village, and how the heady mix of politics and religion impacts their daily struggles for existence in this essentially bucolic setting.