U. A. Khader

U. A. Khader was born in 1935, on the banks of the Irrawaddy River, in Bilin, Mon State, near Rangoon (Yangon), Burma (Myanmar).[1] His father Ussangaantakathu Moithootti Haji came from Quilandy, Kerala, India, while his mother Mamaidi was Burmese in origin. Mamaidi died three days after the birth of Khader, infected by small pox.[1] However, the boy was well taken care of. On the outbreak of Second World War few years later, the boy and the family were forced to flee their dwelling in Burma to safer zones.[1] At the age of seven, Khader returned to India and grew as a Malayali at his father's native place in Quilandy.[1] He had his schooling from Koyilandy High School and obtained a degree in painting from the Madras College of Arts. Khader got in touch with writers such as K. A. Kodungalloor and social figures such as C. H. Mohammed Koya during his days as a student in Madras, which happened to be a turning point in his life.[2] It was C. H. Mohammed Koya who initiated him into the world of reading by giving him Vaikom Muhammed Basheer's Balyakalasakhi.[3]

Khader's first story was published in Chandrika weekly in 1953. The story was based on a real-life incident in which the author had to sell his watch to buy a dinner set as a wedding present for a friend. Khader had written quite harshly about his father and step-mother when he put the story to paper. He handed over the story to C. H. Mohammed Koya, who had it tweaked before publishing it in Chandrika. Koya's message to Khader was that story writing was not about writing ill of others.[3]

He was the president of Purogamana Kala Sahitya Sangham, an organization of artists, writers and art and literature enthusiasts based in Kerala.[4] His latest novel Shathru was released in 2011 January. In his travelogue Ormakalude Pegoda, which was serialised in Madhyamam Weekly from 2012 January, he describes his nostalgic experiences when he visited his hometown Yangon after a long gap of nearly 70 years.

U. A. Khader has worked in various governmental departments: Kerala Government Health Services (from 1960), Akashavani Kozhikode (from 1967 to 1972), and Institute of Maternal and Child Health-Calicut Medical College. He retired in 1990 while working in the administration section of Government General Hospital, Calicut. In addition, he has held many major posts in various literary associations and served as the editor of many major magazines.

• 1983: Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Story – Thrikkottur Peruma[5]
• 1993: S. K. Pottekkattu Award – Katha Pole Jeevitham
• 1993: Abudabi Shakti Award – Oru Piti Vattu
• 1999: C. H. Mohammed Koya Award – Kalimuttam
• 2009: Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award – Thrikkottur Peruma[6]
• 2019: Mathrubhumi Literary Award – Overall contributions[7]