Kerala Sahitya Akademi
Kerala Sahitya Akademi, or the Academy for Malayalam Literature, is an independent body that promotes the Malayalam language and its literature. It is based in Thrissur, Kerala, India. It was formed on 15 October 1956 and inaugurated in Thiruvananthapuram by Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma. The academy moved to Thrissur in September 1957. While it receives government funding and support, it runs autonomously according to its own constitution.
The academy presents annual awards for outstanding works in poetry, novels, short stories, drama, literary criticism, biography-autobiography, travel writing, humor, translation, and children’s literature. The Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award was established in 1958. The academy also has a library, serves as an approved doctoral research center for Kerala universities, and hosts book festivals to encourage reading. It features a gallery of past writers and publishes three journals: Sahithyalokam, Sahithya Chakravalam, and Malayalam Literary Survey (in English). In addition to the Akademi Award, it bestows the Ezhuthachan Puraskaram each year on prominent literary figures, named after Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan, the father of Malayalam literature.
As of 2016, the academy was led by president Vaisakhan, vice president Khadija Mumtaz, and secretary K P Mohanan.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 13:44 (CET).