MALAPPURAM: Novelist and short story writer E. Harikumar, 77, passed away here on Monday night owing to various ailments.

He was born to well-known poet Edasseri Govindan Nair and Janaki Amma, who in her early years had written stories and poems. She even translated Tagore's Fruit Gathering into Malayalam, on July 13, 1943, in Ponnani.

For his collection of short stories titled 'Dinosaurinte Kutti' (The Dinosaur's Baby), he won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 1988. He received the Padmarajan Award for the short story 'Pachappayyine Pidikkan' (To Catch A Grasshopper) in 1997 and Nalappadan Award for the story 'Sookshichuvecha Mayilpeeli' (Peacock Feather Treasured) in 1998.

He bagged the Kathapeedam Award for the book ‘Anithayude Veedu’(Anitha's House) in 2006 and Kerala State Chalachithra Academy Award for best story for the TV film ‘Sreeparvathiyude Paadam’ (Holy Foot of Goddess Sreeparvathi) in 2012.

Harikumar studied from Ponnani AV High School and Calcutta University. He had worked in various Indian cities since 1961.

He published his first story 'Mazhayulla Rathriyil' in 1962.

He published over 20 books including 'Aasakthiyude Agninalangal', 'Urangunna Sarpangal', 'Engine Drivere Snehicha Penkutti', 'Oru Kudumbapuranam', 'Thadakatheerathu', 'Kochambratti', and 'Pranayathinoru Software'.