Biography

K. V. Ramakrishna Iyer, better known by his pen name, Malayattoor Ramakrishnan (27 May 1927 – 27 December 1997), was an Indian writer of Malayalam literature, cartoonist, lawyer, judicial magistrate, and Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer. He was best known for his novels, short stories and biographical sketches and his works include Yanthram, Verukal, Yakshi and Service Story – Ente IAS Dinangal. He received the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Novel in 1967. He was also a recipient of the Vayalar Award in 1979. Malayattoor Ramakrishnan was born on May 27, 1927, at Kalpathi, a village renowned for Kalpathi Ratholsavam, near Palakkad in Malabar district of Madras Presidency of the British India to K.R. Viswanatha Iyer, a government official, and his wife, Janaki Ammal, as one of their six children. The family later settled down in Thottuva, near Cheranallur, near the banks of the Periyar River. His schooling was at various schools in Kerala, traveling with his father whose work carried him to many places in the state and he started his college education at Union Christian College, Aluva where he had the opportunity to study under the known critic, Kuttipuzha Krishna Pillai. It was during this period, he participated in the Indian independence movement for which he was incarcerated for a week. Later, he graduated from the University College Thiruvananthapuram and worked as a tutor at his alma mater, Union Christian College, Aluva, for a while.Later, Ramakrishnan studied law and earned his degree in law to start practicing as a lawyer but moved to Mumbai to join Free Press Journal as an assistant editor where he worked along T. J. S. George. Later, he returned to Kerala to resume his career as a lawyer; it was during this time he unsuccessfully contested the 1954 elections to the Kerala Legislative Assembly from Perumbavoor assembly constituency. Subsequently, he returned to Mumbai for another stint as the sub editor of Free Press Journal when he started writing short articles in their evening bulletin but the stay in Mumbai was again short as he went back to Kerala. Soon, he passed the Municipal Commissioner's examination but could not get a job due to his leaning towards the leftist ideology. However, he passed the Sub-magistrate's examination with a first rank to join the legal services and while working as a sub magistrate, he passed the civil services examination to join the Indian Administrative Service in 1957. He served in various positions during administrative service career until he resigned from service to concentrate on writing.Ramakrishnan was married to Krishnaveni, the marriage taking place in 1954. He died on December 27, 1997, at Thiruvananthapuram, at the age of 70, survived by his wife and two children. His wife outlived him for two more years and died in 1999. Jayaram, noted Malayalam film actor, is his nephew.