Sarah Paul

Sarah Joseph, born in 1946, is a prominent Indian writer recognized for her contributions to Malayalam literature through novels and short stories. She has received significant accolades, including the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award and the Vayalar Award, particularly for her novel "Aalahayude Penmakkal" (Daughters of God the Father).

Beyond her literary achievements, Joseph is a leading figure in Kerala's feminist movement and established the activist organization Manushi. Her activism has focused on addressing crimes against women. She also briefly entered politics, joining the Aam Aadmi Party in 2014 and contesting parliamentary elections. Joseph began her professional life as a school teacher before pursuing higher education in Malayalam and becoming a professor. She retired from government service and resides in the Thrissur district.

Sarah Joseph's writing career commenced during her high school years, with early poems appearing in Malayalam publications and gaining recognition at poetry gatherings. Her literary output includes a notable trilogy of novels: "Aalahayude Penmakkal," "Mattathi," and "Othappu." The novel "Aalahayude Penmakkal" garnered multiple prestigious awards, including the Kerala Sahitya Academy Award, the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award, and the Vayalar Award. Joseph is also known for "Ramayana Kathakal," a reinterpretation of the Ramayana. Her short story collection "Papathara" earned her the Muttathu Varkey Award, and a translation of her stories, "The Masculine of ‘Virgin’," introduced the concept of "Pennezhuthu" – writing viewed through a feminist lens of identity construction. She also received the first O. V. Vijayan Sahitya Puraskaram for her novel "Ooru Kaval" and the Padmaprabha Literary Award.

Joseph is a significant figure in Kerala's feminist landscape, founding the women's organization Manushi in the 1980s. Based at Sanskrit College, Pattambi, where she taught Malayalam and literature, Manushi became a platform for decades of activism. Through this organization, she spearheaded protests against various forms of violence and injustice faced by women, including issues like dowry deaths, trafficking, and sexual exploitation. Her commitment to social causes extended to politics when she joined the Aam Aadmi Party in 2014, participating in the Lok Sabha elections that year. In a notable act of protest in 2015, she returned her Sahitya Akademi Award, citing concerns about a perceived lack of freedom and the government's response to violence against writers.