SHIHABUDDIN POYTHUMKADAVU (Writer, Journalist, Orator and Television Personality) Thoniyan Puthiyapurayil Shihabuddin (widely known in Kerala and among the Malayali diaspora of the Middle East Asia as Shihabuddin Poythumkadavu) is a creative writer who has been writing short stories, novellas and poems since 1982. His works have appeared in all leading Malayalam magazines viz. Mathrubhumi weekly, Malayala Monorama annuals, India Today, Bhashaposhini, Kerlaa kaumudi, and the Malayalam weekly. He has about 350 stories, 100 poems and 3 novellas to his credit. Most of his books have run into multiple editions with the sales of each book crossing 10,000 copies. His stories have been prescribed by the Kerala State Education Board, University of Calicut, Mahatma Gandhi University and Kerala University as text books. He has also been translated to English (published in Indian Literature, the journal of the cultural ministry of India), Hindi, Tamil and Arabic. He has been felicitated with awards several times by organizations such as the Kerala Sahitya Akademi (the supreme cultural body of the state government of Kerala), various other literary and cultural societies in India and abroad. He has scripted and directed many telefilms and serials, for Doordarshan, Asianet and Sun Network including the script for one of the first megaserials in the Malayalam television, Kasavu. As a literary journalist, Shihabuddin has associated with three major weeklies: Poonkavanam (Calicut), Pravaasachandrika (Dubai) and Gulf Life (Abu Dhabi) in the capacity of editor and chief editor. He has traveled extensively in the Middle Eastern countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Sultanate of Oman, Qatar and Bahrain accepting the invitation of Malayali literary and cultural organizations. He is currently Chief Progamme Designer, Rahma Television Productions, Calicut. Born in 1963 at Valapattanam, Shihabuddin is married to Najma, an English teacher settled at Kunnamkulam, Kerala and he has 4 kids.
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