V. M. Girija (born 27 July 1961) is an Indian poet and essayist, writing inMalayalam language. She has published a number of books, which includePrem - Ek Album, the Hindi translation of her poetry anthology in Malayalam,Pranayam Oralbum.Kerala Sahithya Akademi awarded her their 2018annual award for poetry and she is a recipient ofChangampuzha Award for literature,Basheer Amma Malayalam Puraskaram,Asan Smaraka Kavitha Puraskaram andMahakavi Pandalam Keralavarma Puraskaram.
Vatakkeppattu Manakkal Girija was born on July 27, 1961, to Vadakkeppattu Vasudevan Bhattathirippad and Gauri, at Paruthipra, a village nearShornur inPalakkad district in the south Indian state ofKerala.[1][2] Her college education was at theSanskrit College, Pattambi from where she earned a master's degree in Malayalam, securing first rank in the examination. She started writing at an early age and her early poems were published inBalapankthi ofMathrubhumi. She started her career in 1983 by joiningAll India Radio as an announcer and moved to Kochi FM Station when it was started in 1989.[3][4] She retired from Kochi FM in 2021 after 38 years of service.[5][6]
Girija has published eleven books of whichPranayam Oralbum[7] has been translated into Hindi by A. Aravindakshan, under the title,Prem-Ek Album.[8] The other books areJeevajalam (Current Books, 2004),[9]Paavayunu (Sign Books, 2007),[10]Pennugal Kanatha Pathira Neragal (Mathrubhumi Books, 2011),[11]Oridathoridathoridathu (Current Books, 2012),[12]Poochayurakkam (KSCIL, 2014),Kadaloraveedu (Logos Books, 2015),[13]Paavayoonu (Illustrated Version-Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad, 2015),Irupakshampeduminduvalla Njan,Moonu Deerkha Kavithakal (DC Books, 2017),[14] Buddhapoornima, andThe Black Stone, a translation of her poems into English by P. P. Raveendran.[15] She has also edited book,Ellaarudeyum bhoomi, a compilation of poems of Savithri Antharjanam,[16] and has translated the Portuguese novel,Meu Pé de Laranja Lima (English: My Sweet Orange Tree) into Malayalam under the name,Ente Panchara Orange Maram.[17]
Girija is married toC. R. Neelakandan, a noted environmental activist. The couple has two daughters, Ardra Neelakandan Girija and Archa Neelakandan Girija and the family lives inKakkanadu inKochi.[1]
കൈകേയിയുടെ നാനാർത്ഥങ്ങൾ - വി എം ഗിരിജ [Kaikeyi, various interpretations] (YouTube video) (in Malayalam). Waves Of words. 8 October 2018.Archived from the original on 13 December 2021.
