Kanam EJ

Elavunkal Joseph Philip (Kanam EJ) was born on 13 June 1926 as the son of Elavunkal Joseph in Kanam, a small village in Kottayam district of Kerala. He attended MHS Kangazha and passed Malayalam Higher. After schooling he joined military service. He returned to Kottayam after the military service and joined CMS Middle School Kanam, as a teacher. Later he served as Malayalam Pandit in CMS schools of Mundakayam, Kumpalampoika, and Kottayam. Philip quit teaching and joined the popular Malayalam Weekly Malayala Manorama as a journalist. In 1967 he resigned from Malayala Manorama and started his own Malayalam Weekly called Manorajyam. He later sold it to George Thomas of Keraladwani.

Kanam emerged as one of the popular writer of Malayalam fiction during the 1960s and 1970s. He mainly wrote social novels based on the Christian community of Kerala. He was a prolific writer and has written about 100 novels. Almost all of his novels were serialised (Neendakatha) in Malayala Manorama Weekly. One of his novels, Bharya, was adapted into a Malayalam film with the same title. The 1962 film was directed by Kunchacko and starring Sathyan and Ragini. Kanam also wrote lyrics to few Malayalam films.

He passed away on 13th June 1982.

Source: Wiki.

Prepared by: Sreedevi Pillai