There are moments in life that stop you completely. When you find yourself standing somewhere you once only imagined — in a dream, perhaps, or in a quiet moment of ambition that felt too large to admit aloud. Receiving the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Sahithyashree National Award in December 2024 was one of those moments for me.
About the Award
The Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Sahithyashree National Award recognises individuals who have made outstanding contributions to literature. It carries the name of one of independent India's greatest minds — a man who understood, perhaps better than anyone of his era, that knowledge and literature are tools of liberation.
To receive an award in his name felt not merely like a personal honour, but like an invitation to be worthy of a legacy far larger than myself.
"Dr. Ambedkar believed that education was the weapon to change the world. Literature is education at its most human — it changes us from the inside."
What Writing Means to Me
I came to writing late, by conventional standards. I spent my career as an engineer and telecom professional — years of technical thinking, global travel, corporate life. Writing emerged from the same place as my other initiatives: a sense of what was missing, and a belief that I could help fill the gap.
I wrote Pillayude Thallukal because I wanted to explore the textures of Kerala life — its humour, its contradictions, its deep-rooted humanity. I wrote to connect with readers who recognised themselves in the pages, who felt seen and understood.
Three National Awards in One Year
2024 brought an extraordinary level of recognition — not just the Ambedkar Sahithyashree Award, but also the Padmashree Thikkurissi Foundation Silver Jubilee Award and the Bharath Sevak Samaj National Award. Each of these came as a reminder that the work we do — in literature, in community development, in sports — is seen and valued.
Gratitude
The Manorama covered this recognition — you can read the full article here. I am grateful to everyone who has supported my writing journey — my readers, my family, the team at BNB Library, the community around Love All Sports Academy, and everyone who has believed in what we are building together in Trivandrum.
This award belongs to all of you as much as it belongs to me.
— Sukesh R Pillai, December 2024