Born in the idyllic state of Kerala, also known as India's own "God's Own Country," I graduated in science from the University of Bombay and have a post-graduate diploma in industrial engineering, though I have never worked as an engineer.
I started my career in publishing. I have worked in a number of publications as executive, sub-editor, feature writer, assistant editor, and editor. I was the editor of the monthly magazine Ambit, published by the Bombay Management Association.
I have authored many articles, editorials, features that have been published in various publications. My short stories have been published on the online web magazine Sulekha.com. One of my short stories "The E-slave" has been ranked tenth in Sulekha's hall of fame and has been read by a record number of visitors.
I can take pride in hailing from a family of writers in the Malayalam language. My great-great granduncle George Mathan Tharakan was a grammarian who wrote the first book of Malayalam grammar called Malayazhmayude Vyakaranam. My granduncle Puthencavu Mathan Tharakan was a poet, novelist, and playwright and my uncle KM Tharakan was a writer, novelist, and critic.
The name "Tharakan" is a title conferred on our family by an erstwhile king of Travancore, Kerala, India. I believe the title died with the monarchy and therefore, out of modesty, or, out of deference to past glories, do not use it, though I am in the direct line of descent.
At present I work as a senior content writer for an American software solutions company. I live in New Bombay with my wife and son. |
