O. V. Vijayan (Ottupulackal Velukkuty Vijayan)

Ottupulackal Velukkuty Vijayan / O. V. Vijayan was an Indian author and cartoonist. He is best known for his first novel Khasakkinte Itihasam (The Legends of Khasak) written in 1969.

Vijayan has authored six novels, nine short-story collections, and nine collections of essays, memoirs and reflections.

He wrote his first short story, "Tell Father Gonsalves", in 1953. Vijayan left Kerala in 1958 to pursue his career as a cartoonist in Delhi.

He was inflicted with Parkinson's disease for 20 years and in March 2005, he succumbed to organ failure.

The O. V. Vijayan Sahitya Puraskaram (O. V. Vijayan Literary Award) was instituted n 2011, in memory of Vijayan.

Vijayan graduated from Victoria College in Palakkad and obtained a master's degree in English literature from Presidency College, Madras.

OV Vijayan has received several awards during his lifetime. He received the Odakkuzhal Award for Khasakkinte Itihasam in 1970.

The Government of India awarded him the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian honour, in 2003.

His third novel, Gurusagaram, brought him three awards, Sahitya Akademi Award and Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Novel in 1990 and Vayalar Award in 1991.

His father's name is O. Velukkutty.

Vijayan was married to Theresa Gabriel, an academic and the couple had a son, Madhu Vijayan.

His first novel Khasakkinte Itihasam set off a great literary revolution and cleaved the history of Malayalam fiction into pre-Khasak and post-Khasak.