Poet and Jnanpith Award winner Akkitham passes away

Renowned Malayalam poet Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri passed away at a private hospital in Thrissur Thursday morning. He was 94 .

He had won the 55th Jnanpith Award last year. He was the sixth Keralite to receive the Jnanpith Award.

Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri born in 1926 in Kerala’s Palakkad district, popularly known as Akkitham. He wrote his first poem when he was eight. Later he become one of the most respected names in Malayalam poetry, winning several literary accolades, including the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1973. This Padma Shri awardee, Akkitham is also known for his critical essays, short stories and other literary works and  his works have been translated into multiple languages.