| Erumeli Parameswaran Pillai | |
| Native Name: | എരുമേലി പരമേശ്വരൻ പിള്ള |
| Native Name Lang: | ml |
| Pseudonym: | Erumeli |
| Birth Name: | Parameswaran Pillai |
| Birth Date: | 1932 12, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Erumeli, Travancore |
| Death Place: | Mavelikkara, Kerala, India |
| Occupation: | Writer, teacher, scholar |
| Language: | Malayalam |
| Education: | MA, MEd |
| Alma Mater: | Kerala University Madras University |
| Genre: | Novel, short story, scholarly literature, literary criticism |
| Subjects: | --> |
| Spouse: | S. Saradamma (m.1957–2014) |
| Partners: | --> |
| Children: | 3 |
| Awards: | Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award |
Erumeli Parameswaran Pillai (12 December 1932 – 7 February 2014) was a Malayalam-language writer, teacher, scholar, and literary critic from Kerala, India. He wrote over forty books, including five novels, four collections of stories, 11 scholarly works, and a few one-act plays and children's literature. He is also known for the work Malayala Sahityam Kalaghattangaliloode, a comprehensive history of Malayalam literature. He received the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Overall Contributions in 2009.[1]
Pillai was born on 12 December 1932 in Erumeli in the Kottayam district as the son of Velamparampil Krishna Pillai and Lakshmikuttyamma.[2] He obtained MA degrees in Malayalam and Sociology from the University of Kerala and an MEd degree from the University of Madras.[2] He became a school teacher in 1952 and worked in Travancore Devaswom Board High Schools in Erumeli, Thakazhi and Tiruvalla.[2] He became a teacher at Farooq Training College near Calicut in 1964.[2] In Calicut, he flourished as a writer, mainly influenced by the friendship he had with famous writers of the time Vaikom Muhammad Basheer and S. K. Pottekkatt.[3]
He was the Secretary of Kerala Sahitya Akademi (1988-91) and the first Principal of the Kottayam BEd Centre of the Mahatma Gandhi University.[2] He conducted several training programmes at regional and national levels on literacy, adult education, library science, and language teaching.[2] He was a member of the Faculties of Education and the Board of Studies of the Universities of Kerala and Calicut.[2] He worked as the State Secretary of Deshabhimani Study Circle and as the General Secretary and State Secretary of Progressive Arts and Literature Society.[2]
Pillai published his first story "Oru Nalla Manushyan" on 18 March 1956 in the weekend edition of Deshabandhu.[3] In 1974, he started a printing press called Yuvakala in Calicut after realising the high costs and delays in publishing books.[3] In 1980, the printing press was shifted to Chettikulangara under the name Pratibha Press. He also established a publishing company called Pratibha Books in Chettikulangara, which was inaugurated by Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai.[3] Pillai closely associated with P. N. Panicker in the activities of Kerala Grandhasala Sangham.[3] An avid book lover, Pillai had a collection of over 25,000 books in his home library.[3]
Pillai published over forty books. His novels include Pennu, Nizhalukal, Lady Teacher, Oru Premathinte Katha, and Malayile Manka. Autographum Neela Kannukalum, Theliyatha Kalpadukal, Pazhaya Bandhavum Puthiya Vazhitharakalum, and Anthivelicham are some of his short story collections.[2] He published several books on education and also authored the book Malayala Sahityam Kalaghattangaliloode, which is a comprehensive history of Malayalam literature over the years.[2]
In 1957, Pillai married S. Saradamma, a native of Chettikulangara in Alleppey district.[3] Pillai who originally hailed from Erumeli lived most of his life in Chettikulangara.[3] Pillai suffered a heart attack on 7 February 2014 and died the same day at a private hospital in Mavelikkara.[4] The Sakthi Erumeli Award given as part of the Abu Dhabi Sakthi Awards, is instituted in his memory.[5]
| Year | style=width:17em | Title | style=width:17em | Title in Malayalam | style=width:15em | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Lady Teacher | ലേഡിടീച്ചർ | Champakulam B.K.M. Book Depot | |||
| 1963 | Malayile Manka | മലയിലെ മങ്ക | Champakulam B.K.M. Book Depot | |||
| 1964 | Pennu | പെണ്ണ്‌ | Kottayam N.B.S. | |||
| 1966 | Nizhalukal | നിഴലുകൾ | Trichur Current Books | |||
| 1968 | Oru Premathinte Katha | ഒരു പ്രേമത്തിന്റെ കഥ | Champakulam B.K.M. Book Depot |
| Year | style=width:17em | Title | style=width:17em | Title in Malayalam | style=width:15em | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Autographum Neela Kannukalum | ഓട്ടോഗ്രാഫും നീലക്കണ്ണുകളും | Quilon Sree Rama Vilasom | |||
| 1967 | Theliyatha Kalpadukal | തെളിയാത്ത കാല്‌പാടുകൾ | Kottayam N.B.S. | |||
| 1967 | Pazhaya Bandhavum Puthiya Vazhitharayum | പഴയ ബന്ധവും പുതിയ വഴിത്താരയും | Kottayam Vidyarthi Mithram | |||
| 1976 | Anthivelicham | അന്തിവെളിച്ചം | Chettikulangara Jayanthi | |||
| 1998 | Erumeliyude Kathakal | എരുമേലിയുടെ കഥകള്‍ | Mavelikkara Prathibha Books |
| Year | style=width:17em | Title | style=width:17em | Title in Malayalam | style=width:15em | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Adrishya Manushyan | അദൃശ്യ മനുഷ്യൻ | Champakulam B.K.M. Book Depot | |||
| 1968 | Bala Sakuntalam | ബാലശാകുന്തളം | Kottayam Vidyarthi Mithram | |||
| 1977 | Veera Charitangal | വീരചരിതങ്ങൾ | Kottayam Vidyarthi Mithram | |||
| 1977 | Kochu Komban | കൊച്ചുകൊമ്പൻ | Chettikulangara Jayanthi | |||
| 1980 | Uttara Rama Charitam | ഉത്തരരാമചരിതം | Kottayam N.B.S. |
| Year | style=width:17em | Title | style=width:17em | Title in Malayalam | style=width:15em | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Kannuneerum Punchiriyum | കണ്ണുനീരും പുഞ്ചിരിയും | Kottayam Vidyarthi Mithram | |||
| 1991 | Dharmakshetre Kurukshetre | ധർമ്മക്ഷേത്രേ കുരുക്ഷേത്രേ | Trichur Current Books |
| Year | style=width:17em | Title | style=width:17em | Title in Malayalam | style=width:15em | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Malayala Bhashadhyapanam | മലയാള ഭാഷാധ്യാപനം | Kottayam Vidyarthi Mithram | |||
| 1966 | Vidyabhyasa Manasastram | വിദ്യാഭ്യാസ മനഃശാസ്‌ത്രം | Kottayam Vidyarthi Mithram | |||
| 1966 | Vidyabhyasa Tatvangalum Vidyala Ghatanayum | വിദ്യാഭ്യാസതത്വങ്ങളും വിദ്യാലയഘടനയും | Kottayam Vidyarthi Mithram | |||
| 1969 | Vidyabhyasavum Desiya Vikasanavum: Kothari Commission Oru Pathanam | വിദ്യാഭ്യാസവും ദേശീയ വികസനവും -കൊഠാരി കമ്മീഷൻ ഒരു പഠനം | Kottayam Vidyarthi Mithram | |||
| 1974 | Vidyabhyasam Puthiya Kazhchapadil | വിദ്യാഭ്യാസം പുതിയ കാഴ്‌ചപ്പാടിൽ | Kottayam S.P.C.S. | |||
| 1979 | Primary Vidyabhyasam: Tatvangalum Prasnangalum | പ്രൈമറി വിദ്യാഭ്യാസം: തത്ത്വങ്ങളും പ്രശ്‌നങ്ങളും | Kottayam S.P.C.S. | |||
| 1980 | Arogya Kayika Vidyabhyasam | ആരോഗ്യ കായിക വിദ്യാഭ്യാസം | Kottayam Auroville | |||
| 1988 | Vidyalaya Bharanavum Ghatanayum | വിദ്യാലയഭരണവും ഘടനയും | Kottayam Vidyarthi Mithram | |||
| Adhunika Vidyabhyasam: Prasnavum Sameepanavum | ആധുനികവിദ്യാഭ്യാസം, പ്രശ്‌നവും സമീപനവും | |||||
| Vidyalaya Bharanavum Sanghadanavum | വിദ്യാലയ ഭരണവും സംഘാടനവും |
| Year | style=width:17em | Title | style=width:17em | Title in Malayalam | style=width:15em | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Poya Thalamurayil Ninnu | പോയ തലമുറയിൽ നിന്ന്‌ | Alleppey Southern | |||
| 1962 | Prathibhashalikal | പ്രതിഭാശാലികൾ | Kottayam Vidyarthi Mithram | |||
| 1966 | Malayala Sahityam Kalaghattangaliloode | മലയാളസാഹിത്യം കാലഘട്ടങ്ങളിലൂടെ | Kottayam Vidyarthi Mithram | |||
| 1966 | Sahitya Nayakanmar | സാഹിത്യനായകന്‍മാര്‍ | Kottayam Vidyarthi Mithram | |||
| 1971 | Natakathileykk Oru Kaitiri | നാടകത്തിലേയ്ക്കൊരു കൈത്തിരി | Kottayam Vidyarthi Mithram | |||
| 1972 | Sameeksha | സമീക്ഷ | Kottayam Vidyarthi Mithram | |||
| 1979 | Sahityavalokam | സാഹിത്യാവലോകം | Calicut | |||
| 1991 | Avar Engane Chinthikkunnu | അവർ എങ്ങനെ ചിന്തിക്കുന്നു | Kottayam N.B.S. | |||
| 1992 | Alochana | ആലോചന | Kottayam S.P.C.S. | |||
| 1999 | Akshara Deepangal | അക്ഷരദീപങ്ങൾ | Mavelikkara Prathibha | |||
| Nammude Sahityakaranmar | നമ്മുടെ സാഹിത്യകാരൻമാർ |
| Year | style=width:17em | Title | style=width:17em | Title in Malayalam | style=width:15em | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Keralathile Ezhuthukar | കേരളത്തിലെ എഴുത്തുകാർ | Thuravoor Narasimha Vilasom |