Qatar
Renowned Malayalam story writer Vaisakhan has been honored with the 26th Basheer Award by Pravasi Doha, a cultural platform of Keralite expatriates in Qatar.
The award, accompanied by a cash prize of INR 50,000, a beautifully designed memento by artist Namboothiri, and a citation, is resuming after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The jury, led by Malayalam writer M T Vasudevan Nair, includes Babu Mather (managing trustee), M A Rahman, K K Sudhakaran, Shamsudeen (trustees), and C V Rappai from Doha. Additionally, Vaisakhan will present the Prof M N Vijayan Endowment Scholarship Award of INR 15,000 to an accomplished student from his hometown, in memory of the late patron of Pravasi Doha.
Born in 1940 in Muvattupuzha, Vaisakhan has received numerous awards throughout his career, including the prestigious Kerala Sahithya Academy Award in 1989. Having written over 100 short stories inspired by his two-decade-long experience with Southern Railways, he took voluntary retirement in 1984.
