while still a student and his first poetry anthology, Sahitya Kouthukam, was published in 1923. By the time he published Sooryakanthi in 1935, he had already established his place among Malayalam poets. Overall, he published over 40 books which included 25 poetry anthologies, short stories, memoirs, play and prose. He translated the Rubáiyát (1932) of Omar Khayyám, the Sanskrit Meghadūta (1944) of Kalidas, and the collection of poems Gitanjali (1959) of Rabindranath Tagore into Malayalam. He also wrote the lyrics for P. J. Cherian's Nirmala, (1948), the first Malayalam film to incorporate music and songs. Besides Nirmala, he wrote the lyrics for such movies as Oral Koodi Kallanayi, Abhayam, Aduthaduthu and Olipporu. His poems have been translated into English by A. K. Ramanujan under the title, Selected poems of G. Sankara Kurup. Along with his masterpiece, Odakuzhal, Poojapushpam, Nimisham, Navathidhi, Ithalukal, Pathikante Paattu, Muthukal, Anthardaham, Chenkathirukal, Vishwadarshanam, Madhuram Soumyam Deeptham, and Sandhya Ragam are considered as his major works. His autobiography was titled Ormmayude Olangalil, and was published by National Book Stall. Awards and honors Sankara Kurup received the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Poetry in 1961 for his anthology, Viswadarshanam. The Central Sahitya Akademi honored him with their annual award for poetry in 1963. He was the first winner of the Jnanpith Award, India's highest literary award, when the award was instituted in 1965. He received the prize for his anthology, Odakkuzhal (The Bamboo Flute) which was published in 1950; He set apart a part of the prize money to establish Odakkuzhal Award in 1968 and the work was later translated into Hindi, titled, Bansuri. In 1967, he received the Soviet Land Nehru Award and a year later, the Government of India awarded him he third highest civilian honor of the Padma Bhushan. The India Post issued a commemorative postal stamp on Kurup in 2003, under the series, Jnanpith Award Winners. Work Poetry Kavanakalika (Poetic Buds) Dharmarashmi (The Rays of Justice) Muthukal (Pearls) Swathanthryodhayam (Sunrise of Freedom) Poojapushpam (Flowers for Offering) Ente Veyil (My Sunlight) Short Story anthologies Kathakauthukam Essays Mutthum Chippiyum (Pearl and Oyster) (1958) * Bhashadeepika Bhasha Praveshika (2 volumes) Plays Translations Meghadūta of Kalidasa Rubaiyat of Omar Khayam Biography, autobiography Letters Translations into other languages Books and articles on G. Sankara Kurup Filmography Nirmala Oral Koodi Kallanayi Abhayam Aduthaduthu Olipporu References Further reading External links An overview of the major genres of modern Malayalam literature Bibliography