Kozhikode: M T Vasudevan Nair leaves behind a royal path in the literary world he created with his efforts. MT's writings will guide generations of Malayalam writers who will follow this path in the future.

Readers of Malayalam literature would be compelled to ask themselves the question MT himself posed in his work, Kaalam: "What should we pray for next? An encore?"

As a child, MT enjoyed reading Variyath Kuttirama Menon's 'Eli Kathakal' (mouse stories) in the Mathrubhumi weekly and used to eagerly wait for more. A few years later, while studying at Kumaranalloor High School, MT's teacher Vasunni Nambiar read and explained to him The Count of Monte Cristo. Kuttamman, an uncle who gave him company at night told him mythological stories from the Puranas.

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MT wrote, "I am grateful to  Variyath Kuttirama Menon, Vasudevan Nambiar Master and Kuttamman for whatever I started scribbling in my notebook, with the prayer that somebody would read it someday."

During his childhood, steeped in deprivation in the village of Kudallur, books were MT's sole companion, and reading was his only means of celebration.

MT's elder brother was a teacher and an avid reader. He used to send MT to K P Madhava Menon's house, a Communist, to fetch books to read. The renowned Akkitham Mana (a Brahmin household) was located in Kumaranalloor, and it, too, had an extensive collection of books. MT's next stage of reading began from these places.

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While in class 9, MT won a scholarship of Rs 250, which he spent entirely on buying books without informing his family. The money enabled MT to buy many books priced at eight 'annas' and one rupee.

MT joined Victoria College in Palakkad for a science degree but spent more time on literature, for which the college library was a big boon. During vacations, MT collected library tickets from other students who were uninterested in reading and took a large number of books home.

Prabhakaran Nambiar, who taught English to first-year BSc students and was also the hostel warden, once noticed MT reading 'Pride and Prejudice' and summoned him to his room. There, Nambiar enlightened MT about the books he should read compulsorily.

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Literature was MT's friend and the sole luxury in college. "There were temptations such as fashion, cinema and good food. But, pretending that they don't matter, I consoled myself with the fact that the iron trunk box in my room contained my short stories and articles published in magazines such as 'Jaya Keralam' from Madras and K Balakrishnan's 'Kaumudi', that none of the other students could boast of," wrote MT.

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