Priya A. S. (born 28 May 1967), born Priya Anandavalli Sadashivan, is an Indian writer of Malayalam literature. Her oeuvre encompasses short stories, children's literature, translations, and memoirs. She is a three-time recipient of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award and a recipient of the national Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize (2014) and the Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar (2023).
She is best known for her translation of Arundhati Roy's Booker Prize-winning novel The God of Small Things into Malayalam, titled Kunju Karyangalude Odeythampuran. Roy herself has stated that although the novel has been translated into several languages, no other translation holds as much significance to her as the Malayalam version, as it is the language of the novel's central characters.
Early life and education She had a difficult childhood owing to recurring illnesses, which confined her to hospital stays for extended periods. She has described how the experience of illness turned her towards reading and eventually writing as a means of engaging with the world beyond her immediate circumstances.
After completing her schooling at E.C.E.K Union High School, Kuthiyathodu, she enrolled at Maharaja's College, Ernakulam, where she graduated with a degree in English literature.
Career Administrative career Priya worked in administrative positions at Mahatma Gandhi University before joining Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) in Kochi, where she served for over two decades. She retired from CUSAT in 2023 as a section officer.
Literary career
Priya entered the Malayalam literary scene during her college years at Maharaja's College, Ernakulam, through short stories published in prominent Malayalam magazines. Her initial works appeared in the children's section of Mathrubhumi, including the story "Achan", which was later featured in Mathrubhumi Weekly. Senior students studying MA Malayalam at her college hostel recognized her from her children's magazine stories and offered encouragement, which she has credited as an early source of confidence.
Her debut short story anthology, Ororo Thirivukal (Various Turns), was published in 1994, marking the formal beginning of her literary career. Her subsequent collection, Manjamarangal Chuttilum (Yellow Trees All Around), published in 2002 by DC Books, compiled several of her stories exploring family dynamics and emotional currents in everyday life.
Short fiction Her notable collections include Enthuppatti Ente Neelappoovinu (2008), Jagarooka (2015 edition; originally awarded in 2004), Pookkathirikkan Enikkavathille, and Violet Poochakalku Soo Vaikaan Thonnumpol (2017). Her stories frequently address themes of childhood experiences, women's lives, family bonds, societal pressures, and the inner worlds of individuals navigating difficult circumstances.
Translations Her most celebrated translation was Kunju Karyangalude Odeythampuran, the Malayalam rendering of Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things, and the Malayalam translation of Jaishree Misra’s acclaimed English novel Ancient Promises. Set in Kerala and dealing with themes of caste, forbidden love, and social taboos, the translation was praised for its authentic integration of local idioms and rhythmic patterns. Roy endorsed the translation as the most significant among all language editions of the novel. The translation earned Priya the Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize in 2014. The award, consisting of a cash prize of 50,000, a plaque, and a shawl, was presented during a ceremony on 4 September 2015 at the Rang Ghar auditorium in Dibrugarh University, Assam, where 24 translators from various Indian languages were honoured.
Her other significant translation work is Janmanthara Vagdhanangal (2001), the Malayalam version of Jaishree Misra's Ancient Promises (1999), also published by DC Books. The novel, which traces a woman's journey through arranged marriage, separation, and self-realization, addresses conflicts between tradition and modernity. Priya's translation of this work received the V. K. Unnikrishnan Smaraka Award for its sensitive handling of psychological nuances and cultural contexts.
Children's literature Children's literature forms a substantial and acclaimed portion of Priya's body of work. She has stated that her entry into children's writing was unplanned, beginning with Chithrasalabhangalude Veedu (House of Painted Butterflies, 2008), published by DC Books. The work centres on a butterfly named Chitra, exploring life's lessons through the creature's journey in a natural setting, using the butterfly's adventures as a metaphor for personal discovery and environmental harmony. The collection won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Children's Literature in 2006.
When her son Tanmoy was young, she captured his childhood in the collection Ammem Kunjunneem Kunjunneem Ammem, which received widespread recognition and won the Siddhartha Literary Award in 2012.
Her most celebrated children's work is the novel Perumazhayathe Kunjithalukal (The Children Who Never Withered), published on 1 November 2018 by Poorna Publications as part of the Sammanapothi series edited by K. Sreekumar. The novel was inspired by the 2018 Kerala floods. While working at CUSAT during the floods, Priya witnessed the relief camps set up on campus by the university's Department of Instrumentation, where she observed children from diverse backgrounds displaying resilience and unity in the face of the natural disaster. She has stated that her original story idea was entirely transformed by the experience of the floods, and every life she observed at the relief camp became an inspiration for the novel. The novel's publication marked the inauguration of the children's literature section on IE Malayalam, the Malayalam news portal of The Indian Express.
Perumazhayathe Kunjithalukal won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Children's Literature in 2020 and the national Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar in 2023, which carries a cash prize of 50,000 and an engraved copper plaque. The Malayalam jury for the 2023 award comprised Dr Paul Manalil, Mundoor Sethumadhavan, and B. S. Rajeev, who selected her novel from among ten recommended works.
Personal life Priya has a son, Tanmoy, also known as Kunjunni. Following her retirement from CUSAT in 2023, she resides in her ancestral home at Eramalloor in Alappuzha district.
Bibliography
Short story anthologies Title Year Publisher Notes Manjamarangal Chuttilum 2002 DC Books, Kottayam ; won Lalithambika Anterjanam Award (2003) Enthuppatti Ente Neelappoovinu 2008 DC Books Jagarooka 2015 Poorna Publications ; won Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Story (2004) Ormmayanu Njan 2016 DC Books Parippu Jeevitham 2016 Kelkkam Audio Books (audio book) Violet Poochakalku Soo Vaikaan Thonnumpol 2017 Mathrubhumi
Translations Title Original work Original author Year Publisher Janmanthara Vagdhanangal Ancient Promises (1999) Jaishree Misra 2001 DC Books Kunju Karyangalude Odeythampuran The God of Small Things (1997) Arundhati Roy 2011 DC Books
Children's literature Title Year Publisher Notes Chithrasalabhangalude Veedu 2008 DC Books ; Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award (2006) Ammem Kunjunnim Mookkurummi Mookkurummi 2017 Mathrubhumi Tha Enna Aniyathikutty 2017 Poorna Publications Perumazhayathe Kunjithalukal 2018 Poorna Publications ; Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award (2020); Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar (2023) Oru Bhoomi Oru Veedu Oru Thankakkutti 2026 Mathrhubhumi Books
Memoirs Title Year Publisher Notes Maayakkaazhchakal 2006 DC Books Katha Bakki 2007 DC Books Fantas Minta 2017 Green Books
Awards and honours
Year Award Awarded for Awarding body 2003 Lalithambika Anterjanam Award (Best Young Woman Writer) Manjamarangal Chuttilum Kerala Sahitya Akademi 2004 Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Story Jagarooka Kerala Sahitya Akademi 2006 Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Children's Literature Chithrasalabhangalude Veedu Kerala Sahitya Akademi -- Kerala Sahitya Akademi Endowment (Sri Padmanabhaswamy Endowment for Children's Literature) Chithrasalabhangalude Veedu Kerala Sahitya Akademi -- S.B.I. Literary Award State Bank of India -- V. K. Unnikrishnan Smaraka Award (Translation) Janmanthara Vagdhanangal -- Grihalakshmi Award Grihalakshmi (Mathrubhumi Group) -- Ankanam Sahitya Award -- Ramu Kariat Award 2012 Siddhartha Literary Award Ammem Kunjunneem Kunjunneem Ammem 2014 Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize Kunju Karyangalude Odeythampuran Sahitya Akademi 2020 Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Children's Literature Perumazhayathe Kunjithalukal Kerala Sahitya Akademi 2023 Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar Perumazhayathe Kunjithalukal Sahitya Akademi
See also List of Malayalam-language authors by category List of Malayalam-language authors Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Children's Literature Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize
References
Further reading
External links
Priya A. S. at DC Books Store