Shelvy

Shelvy (1960 – 21 August 2003) was an Indian publisher, poet, novelist and short story writer in Malayalam–language. He owned the Calicut-based Mulberry Publications, a renowned publication house that promoted many new Malayalam authors and also introduced several great writers of foreign languages to Malayali readers. Shelvy Raj was born in 1960 as the son of Devassi and Clara in Orumanayur village in Trichur district in the state of Kerala, India. He completed his education in Orumanayur, Pavaratty and Palghat. He was interested in reading from childhood and was a regular visitor at the Township Library and the Devaswom Board Library in Guruvayur. As a child, he won awards for story, painting, drama directing, essay and speech. However, he did not receive much encouragement from his parents or relatives. During adolescence, he wrote a few stories, inspired by the stories of Kakkanadan and others. He was dissatisfied with the writings and soon ventured into poetry. He considered poetry as an escape from loneliness, depression and suicidal tendencies of his youth. He published them in periodicals such as Prerana and Samkramanam. He was also the editor of campus magazine Kerala Samskaram. In the early eighties, Shelvy along with his friend Mohandas (Shikha Mohandas) started Shikha Books in Guruvayur, which mainly published Malayalam translations of foreign titles. Shikha was the first to translate Gabriel García Márquez's works in Malayalam.