Anand

Anand is the pseudonym of P Sachidanandan who was born in 1936, in Irinjalakuda in Kerala. Having graduated in Civil Engineering from Trivandrum Engineering Colege, he worked in several places in the country, including a four-year stint as a Commissioned Officer in the Indian Army. He retired from Central Water Commission and is now living in Delhi. He is married and has two children.

Known for his serious and thought provoking works of fiction, Anand has also regularly written on current topics and social themes. His major works are Aalkoottam, Abayarthikal, Marubhoomikal Untakunnatu (which has been translated into English as Desert Shadows and published by Penguin India), Govardhante Yatrakal, Vyasanum Vighneshwaranum. He has also written a few collections of short stories, two plays and two articles, Jaiva Manushyan (a philosophical study of man as a part of nature and society) and Vettakkaranum Virunnukaranum (an inquiry into religious fundamentalism).

Anand has received various awards for his writings including the Kerala and Kendra Sahitya Akademi awards.

Anand's work with Katha Malayalam Library: "Vyasa and Vigneshwara," translated by Saji Mathew and edited by Rukmin Sekhar.