Pala Narayanan Nair

• Name — Pala Narayanan Nair • Born — 11 December 1911 • Birthplace — Palai, Kottayam, Kerala, India • Died — 11 June 2008 • Place of death — Kottayam, Kerala • Occupation — Poet • Notable Works — * Keralam Valarunnu • Amritakala • Vilakku Koluthoo • Spouse — Subhadrakutty Amma • Children — 4 • Relatives — * Keezhpallil Sankaran Nair (father) • Puliannoor Puthoor Parvathy Amma (mother) • Awards — * 1976 Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Poetry • 1991 Vallathol Award • 1992 FOKANA Kerala Ganam Award • 1999 Ulloor Award • 2000 Ezhuthachan Puraskaram • 2001 Asan Smaraka Kavitha Puraskaram • 2004 Mathrubhumi Literary Award • 2006 Kerala Sahitya Akademi Fellowship • Puthezhan Award • Mooloor Award

Narayanan Nair was born on 11 December 1911 in Pala of Kottayam district in Kerala to Keezhpallil Sankaran Nair and Puliannoor Puthoor Parvathy Amma. His schooling was at St. Thomas School, Pala from where he passed the final examination but his father's death in 1932 forced him to start earning and he joined Palai Central Bank as an accountant, simultaneously giving private tutions. He moved to S. M. V. S. High School as teacher in 1937 but had to quit the job during World War II to join the Indian Army. He quit military service in 1947 to join the University of Kerala (then known as the University of Travancore) in their publications division. While working at the university, he resumed his studies to earn a bachelor's degree in 1954 and a master's degree in Malayalam in 1956, standing first in the examination. He retired from the university in 1967 as the head of the department of publications and served as a professor of Malayalam at Alphonsa College, Palai until 1972. He also served at MMNSS College Kottiyam for a while. Narayanan Nair was married to Subhadrakutty Amma and the couple had two daughters and two sons. He died, at the age of 96, on 11 June 2008, at a private hospital in Kottayam, where he had been admitted following age-related illnesses.