LIFE: A CHRONOLOGY

1946: Born at Pulloot in Trichur District, Kerala, India on 28 May, Father: K C Shankara Menon, Mother: K. Kunjikutti Amma.

1959: First poem in Kalakusumam magazine run by the village library.

1965: Graduation in Zoology from Christ College, Irinjalakuda.

1967: Masters in English Literature from Maharajas College, Ernakulam; joins as Lecturer at KKTM College, Pulloot.

1969: Marries Tulasi Devi(Bindu).

1970: Moves to Christ College, Irinjalakuda; First book, Kurukshetram, a study of modern Malayalam poetry published by Jwala.

1971: First collection of poems, Anchusooryan(Five Suns) published by Poorna Books; edits avant-garde journal Jwala; first daughter Sarita born.

1996: Appointed Secretary of the Sahitya Akademi; Ulloor Award for Desatanam; Selected Critical Essays Muhoortangal ( Contexts) and Malayalam ( New Poems) published;edits Gestures, the first ever anthology of South Asian Poetry; second Hindi collection and first Kannada collection published.

1997: Mahakavi P. Kunjiraman Nair Award for the collection, Malayalam, takes part in International Poetry Days in France, visits Sweden as part of a writers’ delegation, first visit to US.

1998: Kolkata Bharateeya Bhasha Parishad Bhilwara Award for Desatanam, edits Signatures, Indian Modern Poetry for NBT.; second English collection; Apoornam ( Imperfect, New Poems) and Pala Lokam, Pala Kalam ( Different Times, Different Climes) published by DCBooks.Second collection of poems in English translation , How to Go to the Tao Temple published.

1999: Leads the Writers’ Delegation to Italy; Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for drama for Gandhi; Senior Fellowship from the Dept. of Culture, Govt.of India; first collection of essays in English ,Indian Literature: Positions and Propositions, again visits Russia for Pushkin’s Birth Bi-centenary. Theranjedutha Kavitakal ( Selected Poems, Current Books) and Kalayum Nishehavum ( Art and Negation, Bodhi Books) published.

2000: Kumaran Asan Award for ‘Selected Poems’; again in China as part of a Govt. delegation, recording of poems in the ‘Archive of World Literature’ by the U S Library of Congress, third collections in Hindi and Imperfect and Other Poems in English, Sambhashanangal ( A Collection of Interviews ) published.

2001: Odakkuzhal Award for ‘Selected Poems’, Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for travelogue for Pala Lokam,Pala Kalam ( Many Worlds, Many Times); So Many Births-Three Decades of Poetry in English; Collections in Assamese and Bengali; visit to Sharja; Ivanekkoodi text book for BA at Calicut University.

2002: Gangadhar Meher National Award for poetry from Orissa; Bahrin Keraleeya Samajam Award; Eminent Member in World Poetry Akademi in Verona, second reading tour in Italy; launches Pachakutira ( Green Horse), a quarterly little magazine; fourth collection in Tamil; Collections in Punjabi and Oriya; visits France on French Govt’s invitation; French collection Tant de vies ( Tr. Martine Chemana)published in Paris; Second collection of Essays in English, Authors, Texts, Issues published ; takes part in ICCR’s lit. fest, ‘At Home in the World’; visits Gujarat after the Godhra genocide with Mahaswetadevi, writes articles and poems about it to face the ire of right-wing communalists; poetry collection Malayalam textbook for BA at Calicut University. Collection of poems Vikku (Stammer ) and long essay Bharateeyakavitayile Pratirodhaparamparyam ( The Tradition of Dissent in Indian Poetry) published.

2003: Again in France for Prentemps des Poetes, readings in five French cities; Sabita gets married to Nitin Gulati.

2004: Writers’ Delegation to Syria and Pakistan; again in US on Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s invitation for a seminar on Indian literature; the fifth collection in Hindi ;collections in Urdu and Telugu; collection of poems in Italian, I riti della terra ( Tr. Rossana Gatteshchi) published by Castelvecci in Rome. New collection of poems , Sakshyangal ( Witness) and collection of translate poems in English, Stammer and Other Poems published.

2005: Pandalam Kerala Varma Award for Vikku (Stammer); Vayalar Award for Sakshyangal ( Witness); Bappu Reddy National Award from Andhra Pradesh; Friendship Medal from the Govt. of Poland; fifth collection, in English; again in Sweden to translate Swedish poetry; represents India at the Berlin Literary Festival and at Frankfurt Book Fair, 2005.

2006. Retires from Sahitya Akademi; joins the Dept of Human Resources, Govt of India as Language Policy Consultant; Kodungallur, his birth place in Kerala, celebrates the poet’s 60th birthday; ‘Sahityasree’ degree from Delhi Hindi Sahitya Sammelan; third visit to Germany to read at the Leipzig Book Fair; Special Guest at Abu Dhabi Book Fair; German collection published from Heidelberg; fourth German visit to partake in Frankfurt Book Fair 2006 where the German collection of poems in translation, Ich glaube nicht an grezen ( Tr. Annakutty Findes) is released. Sachidanandante Kavitakal (Complete Poems,1965-2005) published in three volumes; Sree Kerala Varma Award; Knighthood of the Order of Merit from the Govt. of Italy; speaks at the Dante Festival in Ravenna, receives Dante Medal from the Dante Institute; participates in the Afro-Asian Literary Conference at Neemrana, Rajasthan. Anantam ( Infinite), new poems and Kizhakkum Padinjarum ( East and West, Travelogue) in Malayalam published.

2007: M..Kuttikrishnan Award for poetry and criticism; a documentary on the poet, Venalmazha (Summer Rain) released in Kerala, participates in the first Kritya International Poetry Festival in Kerala, Director, the first SAARC Folklore Seminar and Festival in Delhi, edits Beyond Borders, a SAARC Journal of Culture. Initiates the series of books from South Asia, ‘The SAARC Library of Literature’.

2008: Subrahmania Shenoi Award for total literary contribution; Ente Kavita( Own Selection of Poems) published ; second Urdu collection ; participates in Jaipur Literary Festival, Indo-Arab Literary Festival in Abu Dhabi, takes part in the second Kritya International Poetry Festival at Chandigarh, Prakriti Poetry Festival at Chennai; the first Kovalam Literary Festival in Kerala and the first Asia- Pacific Literary Conference and the Delhi International Literary Festival in Delhi. Sixth Hindi collection published; Member, Selection Committee, Jnanpith Puraskar, Guest-editor, Indian Literature, Editor, Kerala Kavita. Third collection of essays written in English, Indian Literature: Paradigms and Praxis published.

2009: Takes part in London Book Fair and Jaipur International Literary Festival, wins the first Kadammanitta Ramakrishnan Memorial Award and NTR National Award, Own collection published in Arabic from Abu Dhabi, wins Patmaprabha Puraskar, takes part in Moscow Book Fair , readings in Moscow and St Petersburg and at the Delhi International Arts Festival. New poetry collection, Marannu Vecha Vasthukkal ( Misplaced Objects) published by DCBooks and essays on poetry, Malayalakavitha Patanangal ( Studies in Malayalam Poetry) published by Mathrubhumi.

2010: Wins C. P. Menon Memorial award for Literary Criticism; nominated Fellow of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi; takes part in Jaipur Literary Festival and Hay Festival, Trivandrum; on the final jury of Jnanpith and Moorthidevi awards; Darsanangalude Ritubhedangal (Changing Visions, essays) published. Appointed Director of the School of Translation Studies and Training at the Indira Gandhi National Open University, Delhi. Another Hindi collection of poems published.

2011: Participates in the Blue Metropolis Literary Festival in Canada (Montreal); Readings and discussions in Ottawa and Regina; Speaks in a panel on ‘The Role of Literature in Unlearning Intolerance’ at the U N Headquarters, New York. Poetry translation workshop in Wales; readings in two cities in Wales and in Manchester. Harper Collins publishes While I Write: New and Selected Poems in English. On the jury of Kabir Samman and Mathrubhumi Award. New collection in Malayalam, Bahuroopi published by DCBooks. Participates in the Welsh-India Literature Exchange Translation Workshop at Kovalam, Kerala and the Hay Festival, 2011, Trivandrum, Kerala in November. Participates in the Almost Island Dialogues with Chinese writers including Bei Dao in Mumbai in December. Inaugural Readings and panel discussion in the Samanvay Indian Literature Festival in Delhi. Wins Kusumagraj National Award from Maharashtra in December.

2012: Takes Part in Kritya International Poetry Festival,Trivandrum, January; A series of talks ion Indian Literature at the Sree Shankara Sanskrit University, Kaladay, Kerala as Resident Professor. Takes part in the Jaipur Literary Festival, takes part the Rotterdam Poetry Festival, Netherlands, wins the Sahitya Akademi award for Malayalam for Marannu Vecha Vasthukkal ( Misplaced Things, Poetry) and the Green India Excellence Award for Environmental activism. The first volume of the Collected Translations of Poetry, Padinjaran Kavita ( Poetry from the West) released by Mathrubhumi. Viththum Vrikshavum ( The Seed and the Tree, Selected Essays) published by Kerala Sahitya Akademi.

2013: Takes part in the Medellin Poetry Festival, Colombia, wins the first Kuvempu National Award for poetry from Karnataka, the first Kamala Surayya Award from Gulf Madhyamam, Dubai and Kerala Sahitya Parishat Award. Takes part in Kritya International Poetry Festival at Wardha, Maharashtra and Bangalore Literary Festival. New collection in Malayalam, Tathagatam published by Mathrubhumi . The Second Volume of Collected Translations of Poetry, Moonnam Lokakavita (Poetry from the Third World) released. Delivers Key Note Address in the National Seminar on ‘Literature and Other Arts’ organized by the Sahitya Akademi, Delhi. Executive Member, Sahitya Akademi. Delivers AKG Memorial Lecture at Jansanskriti, Delhi. Anubhavam, Orma, Yatra (Experience, Memory, Travel- essays and memoirs) and Sahityavum Pratirodhavum (Literature and Resistance, essays) published. Readings and discussions in Lima( Peru) and Havana (Cuba) as part of an Indian delegation of poets. Takes part in Europa Cultural Festival at Brussels.

2014: Takes part in The Hindu Lit for Life Festival at Chennai, Jury member of Hindu Fiction Award; the third volume of the Collected Translations of Poetry, Indian Kavita (Indian Poetry) and the fourth volume, Palalokakavitha released. Play Gandhi staged in 90 locations by the Kerala Shastra Sahitya Parishat. Edits anthology of Indian Ocean Region Poetry, Voices from the Seashore. Misplaced Objects and Other Poems published by the Sahitya Akademi. Manppuram VCPatmanabhan award for total contribution to literature, State Bank of India Golden Award for poetry. Initiates ‘Indian Writers Forum’ along with Githa Hariharan to fight the authoritarian tendencies of the new dispensation and edits the on-line journal Guftugu.

2015: Visits Salalah, Oman as part of a writers’ delegation to take part in a literary festival organized by Kerala Sahitya Akademi. Edits Kedarnath Singh’s Selected poems in English translation, Banaras and Other Poems. Valedictory Address in the Comparative Literature Association of India’s International Conference at Jaipur on ‘Gandhi, Tagore and the Idea of India’. Third edition of Nervazhikal, (Straight Passages), anthology of modern Malayalam poetry published. Visits Doha for a literary workshop and cultural meet organized by Friends’ Cultural Centre. Muttath Varkey Award for the best Malayalam poem on language and culture in the last 25 years. Edits Shabad, anthology of world poetry and the Selected Essays of Ayyapa Paniker for Sahitya Akademi. Resigns from all the boards of the Sahitya Akademi resenting its refusal to condemn the murder of intellectuals and writers by Hindu extremists. Convener of the Hindu Fiction Prize jury. Launches Guftugu, an on-line resistance journal as the organ of the Indian Writers’ Forum and 1 Over the 8th, an on-line international poetry journal. New collections of translations in Chinese ( Tr, Baiya), Kannada and Marathi and Nilkkunna Manushyan ( The Man Who Stands), collection of new poems in Malayalam published. Nominated National Fellow at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla. Joins the Institute in October. Selected Poems in Malayalam published by Green Books in the series ‘Priyakavithakal’ ( Much Loved Poems). Delivers TKRamachandran memorial talk at Kochi on Poetry and Resistance. Takes part in public meetings by several resistance fora. Readings of poetry in four cities( Madrid, Avila, Soria and Segovia) in Spain. Readings at the Vilenica Literature, edits the anthology of Indian poetry, Kavita for the Vilenica Festival, published in Slovenian.Festival in Slovenia.

2016: Awarded the International Poetry for Peace Prize by the Government of UAE. Collected Poems in English, The Missing Rib, published by Poetrywalla, Mumbai. Collected Poems in Malayalam ( Sachidanandante Kavithakal, 1965-2015) published by DC Books, Kottayam. Director, Kerala Literary Festival, Calicut. Delivers the third Agyey Memorial Lecture in Delhi. Takes part in the Gujarat Literary Festival, Ahmedabad, Jaipur Literary Festival, Jaipur and Samanvay Litfest in Delhi, edits Words Matter: Speaking Against Silence for Penguin-Viking. Seventieth Birthday celebrated at birth-place , Kodungallur .Takes part in the International Poetry Festival, Caracas, Venezuela, Bangalore Poetry Festival, Goa Literary Festival, Dakshinayan Resistance Conference in Goa, delivers talk on Poetry and Resistance in Goa Arts Museum. Receives V Aravindakshan Memorial Award for literature and activism. On the Jury of Saraswati Samman awarded by the Birla Foundation, Delhi.

2017: Chief Guest at the Kadambini Literary Festival in Bhubaneshwar ; takes part in the Hindu Literary Festival and chairs the Jury for the Hindu Fiction Prize, Awarded UR Ananthamurthy Puraskaram by KSSTA at Calicut, directs the second edition of Kerala Literary Festival with over 320 writers, takes part in the Poetry Carnival at Pattambi and directs a poetry translation workshop, takes part in the Kavyotsavam ( Poetry Festival) at Kanhangad and receives the Kavyotsavam Award for Poetry, receives M N Vijayan Award at Kalaripparamba in Kerala, honoured by the schools in Pulloot where he had been a student. Takes part in ‘Poetry in the Garden’ ( Poetry festival ) in Delhi, takes part in Madhyamam Litfest, Tirur, Kerala; Chief Guest at Assam Valley Award function, Gauhati; Bishop Mar Poulose Memorial Talk on ‘Secularism in the Indian Context’ in Trichur. Keynote address on ‘Literature ad Resistance’ at Kerala Sahitya Akademi, Thrissur, Hariyorma Award for Literature and Social Activism; Visits to Dubai ( twice) and Riyadh for literary conferences; Athmanam Memorial Lecture at Chennai, First Thunchath Ezhuthachan Memorial Lecture at Madras University Chennai; Erudite Lectures on Indian Literature at Sree Shankara Sanskrit University, Kalady, Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar Smaraka Puraskaram for total literary contribution at Payyannur, Kerala. Director, Kerala Literary Festival, Calicut. Several talks across the country on the dangers of communal polarisation and rising authoritarianism and intolerance in India. Collection of essays on politics and culture in Malayalam , Varoo, Ee Theruvile Raktam Kaanoo ( ‘Comeand See the Blood in the Streets’ ) pubished by Olive Books, Calicut.

2018. Published ' Dakshinam' , a book of travelogues, ' Kavitha tide Mukhangal' , essays on poetry , 'Indian Kavitayude Pratirodhaparamparyam', lectures on Indian poetry, ' Not Only the Oceans', new poems in English translation and two collections of poems for children; received Ezhuthachhan Award from the Govt of Kerala, P. GovindaPillai Award from Library Council and EKDivakaran Potti Award for translation, nominated to Sahitya Akademi Translation Centre National Committee, Saraswati Samman Award jury and to the ' Almost Island' team of writers to Hong Kong and Hang Zhou.

2018: Publishes 'Aatmagathangal'( Talks), 'Dakshinam '( Travelogues), 'Theranjedutha Lekhanangal' ( Selected New Essays)'Kavithayude Mukhangal' ( Faces of Poetry, Columns on Poetry), 'Not Only the Oceans' ( Translations of Own Poetry in English), 'Chunee Huee Kavitayen'( Selected Poems, Hindi), 'Irupathu Pranayageethangalum oru Vilapageethavm'( Translation of Pablo Neruda's 'Twenty Love Poems and A Song of Despair). Wins Kavisamrat Upendra Bhanja Award from Orissa, Chiranthana Kalasamithi Award from Dubai, E K Divakaran Potti Award for translation, P. Govinda Pillai Award and Ezhuthachan Award , the biggest award for Total Literary Contribution in Malayalam from Kerala; represents India at the India-South Africa Dialogue at Johannesburg in South Africa. Travels to South Africa and writes a travelogue about it called 'Oru Thulli Africa' (A Drop of Africa)

2019: Publishes 'Pakshikal Ente Pirake Varunnu' ( Birds Come After Me , Poems), 'Pashuvum Puliyum'( The Tiger and the Cow, Children's Verses), 'Pakshikkavithakal' ( Bird-poems , Children's Verses), 'Positions' ( Selected Essays on ndian Literature, in English), 'Ente India, Ente Hridayam' ( My India, My Heart, Poems against Fascism), 'Njan Oru Bhashayaanu (m I am a Langauge, Poems on Poetry and Language: Ed. K V Thomas). A collection of poems in Japanese translation comes out. Takes part in Struga Poetry Nights , Macedonia, Hongkong Poetry Festival, IPPL Poetry Festival, Kolkata. Wins five awards: Navamalayali Lierature Prize, Kaliyachan Poetry Prize, KSSF Literature Prize, Tata Poet Laureate Award from Tata Poetry Festival, Mumbai.

2020: Publishes 'Dukham Enna Veed' ( A House Called Sorrow Poems) , 'Anantharam' ( Afterwards, First Collection of Shortstories), 'Oru Prathisamskaarathinu Vendi' ( Towards a Counter-culture, Essays), 'The Whispering Tree' ( Love poems in English Translation), 'No Borders for Me ( Travel Poems in English Translation). Edits 'Singing in The Dark' ( with Nishi Chawla: A Collection of World Poetry about the dark times of the COVID epidemic , for Penguin-Randomhouse) and takes part in five programmes associated with it. Takes part in Kalinga Litfest, Chandrabhaga Poetry Festival, Bhashanagar Poetry Festival, Medellin Poetry Festival, Hyderabad Litfest, Jaipur Litfest ( all virtual, due to COVID) and more than 40 online programmes. Involved in translating Bhakti and Sufi poets. Wins Mathrubhumi Literature Prize from Mathrubhumi Group of Publications and O N V Poetry Prize from Kerala University.

2021: Publishes 'Daivavumayulla Sambhashanangal' ( Conversations with God, Kabir's selectd poems in Malayalam Translation), 'Shivoham' ( 'I am Shiva, Kannada Shaivite Poems in Malayalam), 'Bulle Shayude Kavithakal' ( Poems of Bulle Shah, the Sufi poet in Malayalam),

'Ormayudeyum Maraviyudeyum Pusthakam' ( A Book of Memory and Forgetting: Autobiographical writings), 'India enna Swapnam' (The Dream called India,Basho Books). A selection of poems in Spanish translation comes out as also 'I am a Language' ( A collection of poems on language in English translation) and 'Questions from the Dead'( New Poems in English translation). Member, Saraswati Samman Jury. Around 30 online readings and talks. Wins Basheer Award for the collection of poems, Dukham enna Veedu ( A House Called Sorrow)

2022: Moves from Delhi to Kerala.Nominated President, Kerala Sahitya Akademi. Organises new peogrammes for the Akademi like the first LGBTQI Literay Meet, the series, “My Creative World, two literature workshops for women, amulti-lingual writers meet in Kasargod, many series of talks on relevant topics, camps for young poets and fiction writers etc. Publishes 'Idapedalukal' ( Interventions: A Selection of Socio-political and philosophical essays), 'Iruttile Pattukal' ( Songs in the Darkness', new poems),'Kavithaykku oru Veed', ( A House for Poetry- Translations from world poetry) 'Oru Thulli Africa' ( A Drop of Africa- Travelogues), 'Shekspiyarude Geethakangal' ( The Sonnets of Shakespeare in Malayalam translation ) .Poems appear in anthologies of Indian poetry like The Penguin Book of Modern Indian Poetry, Red Hen anthology, Future Library, The Well-Earned, Madness, Mapping the Mind- Minding the Map, Rivers Going Home etc. Takes part in Jaipur Litfest. Wins six awards: the State Library Council award for total literary contribution, Ethos Prize for poetry from UAE, Kollam District Library Council Award, Kathiroor Co-operative Bank Award for Literature, Koladi Gobindankutty Memorial Literary Award, Deshabhimani Poetry Prize.

2023: Publishes 'Thukkaraminte Kavitakal' ( Tukaram's Poems in Malayalam translation), 'Neeyum Njanum' ( You and Me- a collection of Bhakti and Sufi poetry fromm many Indian languages), 'Nadikalkkadiyile Nadi' ( The River Beneath the River' ( New Poems). A new collection in Hindi, “Siddharth aur Gilahari' ( Siddhartha and the Squireel) translated by Anamika Anu published . Edits, with Nishi Chawla, a global anthology of poetry on environment, 'Greening the Earth 'for Penguin Randomhouse and “'T S Eliot's The Wasteland: Indian Responses' for Orient BlackSwan. Wins Kannayyalal Sethia Award for Poetry from Jaipur.

2024: Publishes 'Marichupoya Muthashshikk Oru Kath' ( A Letter to My Dead Grandma, second collection of short stories), 'Pahadi oru Ragam Mathramalla' ( Pahadi is not only a Raga, new poems), 'Ethir Vicharangal' ( Thinking Against the Current- Essays on literature) and 'Janthukavithakal' ( Animal Poems - poetry for children) .Organises the first International Festival of Literature for the Kerala Sahitya Akademi, in which 500 writers from across the world take part in 107 sessions spread over seven daysbesides several other seminars and talks. Takes part as a VIP Member in the Lokakeralasabha ( World Diasporic Conference of Malayalis), Inaugurates Darshana Vedi in Sharjah, elected Chairpeson, Desheeya Manavikavedi,( National Humanist Forum- Kerala Chapter ). Wins Bhaskareeyam Literray Award and T. Ubaid Poetry Award