"In Kerala, literary criticism is not taken too seriously as a genre, and the critics are not given enough encouragement,” says literary critic M K Harikumar. Harikumar, who entered the world of words in 1982 through a little magazine, ‘Sankramanam’ has completed 30 years in the field.
Taking an overview of his long literary career, Harikumar, who is currently writing a popular column, ‘Aksharajaalakam’ in Kalakaumudi weekly that reviews latest stories and poems appearing in magazines, says, “A critic, with his social alertness, is a positive nuisance to the society. He is a person who interferes in everything for the well-being of others. His duty is not confined to a book, but the surrounding world is equally his responsibility.”
There is a tendency to undermine critics, he observes. He says, “There is not a uniform platform for critics here. Though they are many in number, the problem is that they do not have a space to express themselves. Unlike in the past, magazines and newspapers these days allow very little space for critical articles.”
In the past three decades, Harikumar has written 15 books. His entry into serious writing began with the ‘introduction’ he wrote for ‘Three stories’, a compilation of short stories. The piece was titled ‘Oru Nischalathayude Nimishavum, Oru Nisabdadayude Nimishavum’(A Moment of Stillness and a Moment of Silence).
He turned to criticism in 1984 with ‘Aathmayanangalude Khasak’, reviewing O V Vijayan’s renowned novel, ‘Khasakkinte Ithihasam’. He wrote it while studying for his post graduation. Harikumar’s other major works include ‘Manushyaambarangal’ (Horizons of Human Mind) written in 1989, ‘Navaadwaitham’, a complete study on the works of O V Vijayan (2006), ‘Katha Adunikathakku Sesham’, ‘Chinthakalkitayile Salabham and ‘Ente Manifesto’. He won Kerala Sahitya academy’s Vilasini award in 2009 for ‘Navaadwaitham’.
Harikumar has an internet portal as well, ‘Malayalasameeksha.com’ where 100 writers have the space to express themselves through stories, poems and articles in each issue. From international authors to budding writers, the magazine has been attracting a lot of talent since its inception in 2011. Observing the trend of e-magazines, Harikumar says, “The advent of technology has positively influenced literature. These sites provide a uniform global platform for many who would otherwise have struggled to get readership.”
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