Novelist Perumbadavam Sreedharan was chosen for the prestigious Vallathol Award for this year. The award carries a purse of Rs 1,11,111 and a plaque. Vallathol Award is instituted by Vallathol Sahithya Samithi in memory of poet Vallathol Narayana Menon. Perumbadavam is the present Chairman of Kerala Sahithya Academy. He has written several novels and short stories. One of his most popular and critically praised novel is Oru Sankeerthanam Pole (1993), for which he received the Vayalar Award in 1996. His novel, named Narayanam, was awarded the Malayattoor Award in 2006.
Born in Perumpadavom village, in Muvattupuzha, Kerala district of Ernakulam, his literary career began with the writing of poetry. Later, he went on to short stories and novels. Perumbadavam has also written scripts for 12 Malayalam films and received Kerala State Film Award for Sooryadanam (1989).
