Benyamin (writer)

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For others with similar name, see Benjamin (disambiguation).

Benyamin
Benyamin in July 2018
Benyamin in July 2018
BornBenny Daniel
(1971-05-18) 18 May 1971 (age 52)
Kulanada, Pathanamthitta, Kerala, India
Pen nameBenyamin
OccupationNovelist, Screenwriter
LanguageMalayalam
NationalityIndian
Period2000 - present
Notable worksGoat Days
Notable awards
SpouseAsha Mathew
ChildrenKezia Daniel
Rohan Daniel

Benny Daniel (born 1971), better known by his pen name Benyamin, is an Indian writer in Malayalam from Kerala. He is the author of about thirty books in various genres – from short stories to novels and memoirs. For his novel Goat Days (Aadujeevitham), he won the Abu Dhabi Sakthi Award, Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award and JCB Prize, and was shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize. The novel Manthalirile 20 Communist Varshangal won the Vayalar Award in 2021.

Apart from literature he ventured Malayalam film industry in 2023 as a co-writer of the Malayalam film Christy with the writer G.R. Indugopan, which marked his debut as a screenwriter. His magnum opus novel Aadujeevitham has been adapted by director Blessy into a film,The Goat Life. Which was released on 28th March 2024.

Personal Life[edit]

Benyamin was born in 1971 in the village of Njettoor, Kulanada near Pandalam in Pathanamthitta district in the southern part of Kerala. He lived in the Bahrain from 1992 to 2013, before returning to Kerala. He also went to Australia for a bit of time. [1] In 2000, Euthanasia was the first short story collection in Malayalam literature. In 2008, the work Aadujeevitham was published, which became a huge success and a turning point, through which he became a more active and well-known writer.

Career[edit]

Goat Days (2008)[edit]

Goat Days (Aadujeevitham), his most famous novel, portrays the life of Najeeb, an Indian labourer and how he survives the hardships and tortures in Saudi Arabia. It is used as a textbook at Kerala University, Calicut University, Bharathiar University, Pondicherry University and 10th standard for Kerala State syllabus.[2] It was a magnum opus and a turning point work of Bennyamin in his writing career. The Goat Life is a film adaptation of this novel directed by Blessy.

Yellow Lights Of Death (2011)[edit]

Yellow Lights Of Death (Manjaveyil Maranagal) describes that once the author unexpectedly receives half of a story by email from a young man named Christy Andraper. At a seaside cafe, two friends, Christy and Jesinta, witness a murder. Christy discovers that his classmate Senthil was shot. But the police say that no such crime has been committed so far. The hospital authorities say he had a heart attack. Christy begins to suspect a conspiracy and begins to investigate. It's a beautiful work that leaves the readers to be confused as to whether it was a real incident or a fictional event, keeping it a mystery from start to the end.

Jasmine Days (2014)[edit]

Jasmine Days (Mullappoo Niramulla Pakalukal) tells the story of a young woman Sameera Parvin who moves to a middle eastern city and finds herself in the middle of a revolution. It revolves around the Jasmine Revolution that sprang up in December 2010 and was quelled by January 2011.[3] The English translation of the novel won the inaugural JCB Prize for Literature, the richest literary award in the country. The jury chairperson Vivek Shanbag called the novel "brilliant and intense".[4][5]

Tharakans Grandhavari (2022)[edit]

Tharakans Grandhavari (The Chronicles of Tharakan) is a unique experiment in narrative style as well as in production and publication. The plot revolves around the life of Mathu Tharakan and is narrated through 120 incidents. The book is published as 120 loose cards and the readers are given the choice to dictate the narrative. Each copy of the book is uniquely assembled such that each copy is a distinct permutation of the many possibilities in which the novel could be read.[6][7]

Christy (2023)[edit]

Beyond novel writing, In 2023, he made his debut as a screenwriter by co-writing the script of the film Christy with novelist G. R. Indugopan and he also played a small character in the film.[8] Also, the screenplay of this film is written by both of them has been published in book form by Manorama Books, which was launched during the audio launch of the film.

Awards and Honours[edit]

Bibliography[edit]

Year Title Title in English Category Publisher
2000 Euthanasia Euthanasia Collection of stories Calicut: Mulberry Publications
2000 Irunda Vanasthalikal Dark Forest Places Diary notes Aluva: Pen Books
2006 Abeesagin Abeesagin Novel Thrissur: Current Books
2006 Penmarattam Ladies Sex Collection of stories Calicut: Haritham Books
2007 Pravachakanmarude Randam Pustakam The Second Book of Prophets Novel Kottayam: DC Books
2008 Aadujeevitham Goat Days Novel Thrissur: Green Books
2008 Akkapporinte Irupathu Nasrani Varshangal Twenty Years of Christian Quarrels Novel Kottayam: DC Books
2010 E M Ssum Penkuttiyum EMS and the Girl Collection of stories Kottayam: DC Books
2011 Manja Veyil Maranangal Yellow Lights of Death Novel Kottayam: DC Books
2012 Anubhavam, Orma, Yathra Experience, Memories & Travel Memoirs Calicut: Olive Publications
2013 Kathakal Stories Selected stories Kottayam: DC Books
2013 Manushyan Enna Sahajeevi Human, a fellow being Collection of stories Calicut: Mathrubhumi Books
2014 Al Arabian Novel Factory Al Arabian Novel Factory Novel Kottayam: DC Books
2014 Mullappoo Niramulla Pakalukal Jasmine Days Novel Kottayam: DC Books
2014 Ottamarathanal Single tree shade Memoirs Thrissur: Green Books
2015 Irattamukhamulla Nagaram A double faced city Travelogue Thrissur: Green Books
2015 Green Zoninu Veliyil Ninnu Ezhuthumbol While writing outside from green zone Collection of essays Calicut: Mathrubhumi Books
2016 Kudiyettam: Pravasathinte Malayalivazhikal Migration: The malayali ways of exile Essays Kottayam: DC Books
2017 Manthalirile 20 Communist Varshangal 20 Communist years of Manthalir Novel Kottayam: DC Books
2017 Ente Priyapetta Kathakal My favourite stories Selected stories Kottayam: DC Books
2018 Shareera Shasthram Physiology Novel Calicut: Mathrubhumi Books
2018 Postman Postman Collection of stories Kottayam: DC Books
2020 Marquez Illatha Macondo Macondo Without Marquez Travelogue Kottayam: DC Books
2020 Nishabda Sancharangal The journey of silence Novel Kottayam: DC Books
2020 Akathe Christhu Purathe Christhu Christ within and Christ without Collection of speeches Thrissur: Green Books
2020 Ennu Swantham (editor) Your's Own Letters Kottayam: DC Books
2020 Puzhameenukale Kollunna Vidham (co-author) How to kill river fishes? Novel Kottayam: DC Books
2021 Ennathullikalum Upputharikalum Oil droplets and Salt flakes Collection of essays Calicut: Mathrubhumi Books
2022 Tharakans Grandhavari Chronicles of Tharakan Novel Kottayam: DC Books
2023 Ethoru Manushyanteyum Jeevitham Any human's life Jottings Calicut: Mathrubhumi Books
2023 Christy (co-authored with G. R. Indugopan)[18] Christy Screenplay Kottayam: Manorama Books

Translations in English[edit]

  • Benyamin (2012). Goat Days. Translated by Joseph Koyippally. New Delhi: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-143-41633-3.
  • Benyamin (2015). Yellow Lights of Death. Translated by Sajeev Kumarapuram. New Delhi: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-143-42089-7.
  • Benyamin (2018). Jasmine Days. Translated by Shahnaz Habib. New Delhi: Juggernaut Books. ISBN 978-9-386-22874-1.
  • Benyamin (2019). Al Arabian Novel Factory. Translated by Shahnaz Habib. New Delhi: Juggernaut Books. ISBN 978-9-353-45066-3.
  • Benyamin (2021). Addis Ababa. Translated by Veena Muthuraman. New Delhi: Juggernaut Books.
  • Benyamin (2023). Marquez, EMS, Gulam and Others: Selected Short Stories. Translated by Swarup B. R. New Delhi: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-9-356-29567-4.

Filmography[edit]

Year Film Director Contribution Notes
2023 Christy Alvin Henry Co-screenplay writer, Acting (played the role of Thomas) Debut as a Scriptwriter

Screenplay was written with G. R. Indugopan

2023 Abraham Ozler Midhun Manuel Thomas Acting (played the role of Himself) Cameo Appearance
2024 The Goat Life Blessy Story Adaptation of novel Aadujeevitham

References[edit]

  1. ^ "The prodigal son returned: Author Benyamin on his return to India". The Indian Express. 6 December 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  2. ^ "Aadujeevitham novel: The Best Malayalam Novel(adujeevitham)". The Infomate. 14 June 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  3. ^ "One is the loneliest number". The Hindu BusinessLine. 7 December 2018. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  4. ^ "Malayalam author Benyamin's 'Jasmine Days' wins first JCB Prize for literature". The Hindu. 25 October 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  5. ^ "Debuts and translations make up the JCB Prize 2021 shortlist". Mintlounge. 4 October 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  6. ^ "A Unique Book By DC Books". Allaboutbookpublishing.com. 3 August 2022. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  7. ^ "ബെന്യാമിന്‍റെ "തരകന്‍സ് ഗ്രന്ഥവരി: അത്യപൂര്‍വ്വമായ ഒരു നോവല്‍ പരീക്ഷണം". Madhyamam (in Malayalam). 4 May 2022. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  8. ^ "തോമസായി ബെന്യാമിന്‍; ക്രിസ്റ്റിയിലെ ക്യാരക്ടര്‍ പോസ്റ്റര്‍ പുറത്ത്". Mathrubhumi (in Malayalam). 14 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  9. ^ "Benyamin". The Hindu. 26 January 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  10. ^ "Literary Awards". Government of Kerala. Archived from the original on 1 July 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  11. ^ "Man Asian Literary Prize Announces Long List". Poets & Writers. 18 December 2012. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  12. ^ Ashlin Mathew (22 November 2013). "Three Indians in race for DSC prize for South Asian Literature 2014". India Today. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
  13. ^ "Benyamin chosen for Padma Prabha puraskaram". Metro Vaartha. 30 August 2015. Archived from the original on 22 November 2015. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  14. ^ "Jasmine Days - Benyamin". thejcbprize.org. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  15. ^ "Crossword Book Award - Winners". www.crossword.in. 31 March 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  16. ^ "Benyamin gets Muttathu Varkey Award". East Coast Daily. 27 April 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  17. ^ "Vayalar Award for Benyamin". The Hindu. 9 October 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  18. ^ "'ക്രിസ്റ്റി' സിനിമയുടെ തിരക്കഥ പുസ്തക രൂപത്തിൽ". Malayala Manorama (in Malayalam). 11 February 2023. Retrieved 16 February 2023.

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