Shajil Anthru

In the grand tapestry of human existence, there are those extraordinary individuals who weave countless threads of influence, leaving a lasting impact on society. One such individual is ShajilAnthru, a multifaceted personality, a beacon of inspiration, and a true testament to the boundless potential of human creativity and ingenuity. Born in a rich cultural cradle of India, Shajil Anthru’s journey began in a state in tradition of folklore –Kerala, India. Born to an era that thrived on innovation and progress, His life has been anything but ordinary, known for his contributions as a writer, an artist, a technocrat, an academician, and a social reformer, he has undeniably left a profound mark on various facets of life. His early life was a vibrant chemistry of colors, sounds and stories which later influenced his works with distinctive flavor. As he grew, the appetite of creativity, Shajil Anthru emerged as an innovative post in literature pioneering concepts like Zeroism and Fishbone poetry. In the realm of creativity, Shajil Anthru resonates –, the mind behind Zeroism, the concept that accrues the concept of nothingness. He is the founder of Zeroism, a philosophy aimed at simplifying thoughts and messages. This unique philosophy reflects his way of seeing the world of distilling complex ideas into their most fundamental forms. His philosophy, embraces the infinite possibilities of the void, it is a journey to bliss, a guide to the profound depths of the unknown, and it is about finding meaning in meaningless, saying something in nothing.

Zeroism, a philosophy he introduced, is a testament to Shajil’s ability to see beyond the conventional. This philosophy defies the conventional binary of zero and one, suggesting a state of existence devoid of such limitations. Zeroism has already given rise to extensive debates and gained public acceptance in various countries. It has been hailed as an innovative leap in philosophical thought, akin to the bold ideas proposed by ancient and modern philosophers alike. Shajil’s contributions extend beyond his own creations. Recognizing the importance of a platform for writers, he founded Litterateur Redefining World, an online forum that encourages and showcases literary talent from all corners of the globe. His passion for literature extends beyond his writing. He is the chief editor of Literature Redefining World, an online magazine that aims to redefine the world through literature. In honor of his late father he established the K .M. Anthru International Literature Prize, further cementing his commitment to the literary world. But Shajil Anthru is not just a name in the annals of literature and art.

He is a beacon for artists and writers, a symbol of the limitless potential of creativity. His work and philosophies challenge us to question, to explore, and to redefine the world around us. As we delve into the world of Shajil Anthru, we find a universe teeming with ideas, a cosmos where words and thoughts dance in an eternal ballet of creativity.

His journey, his works and his philosophies are a testament to the power of imagination, the beauty of art, and the boundless possibilities of the human mind. Shajil Anthru is a vibrant thread, weaving stories and ideas that captivate, inspire and challenge us.

His unique contributions have not only enriched the world of literature, but have also left an indelible mark on the sands of time.

As an author, he etched his name in history, crafting the world’s shortest story in a single word- a testament to the power of brevity. In literature, he defined norms–a story of world–the universe condensed into a single world. The brevity of the tale is not a limitation, but a testament of the vast expansion of human imagination. His innovative approach to literature is further exemplified by his claim to have written the world’s shortest story in just one word, surpassing even the legendary Ernest Hemingway.

But Shajil’s literary prowess doesn’t end there. He also introduced the world to fishbone poetry, a new poetic form that challenges the conventional norms of poetry.

The name Shajil Anthru reminds us of a melody of minimalism, a hint of the void, a tribute to the man who found infinity in a single word and universe in zero.  

Yet, Shajil Anthru’s contributions aren’t confined to the literary world. With a background in engineering, he has spent over 34 years in academia, shaping minds and inspiring future generations.

His expertise and knowledge, coupled with his passion for education, make him a truly unique figure in the academic world. In 2024, Shajil Anthru marked his retirement from the post of Principal Of Government Polytechnic College, Attingal, Trivandrum, which witness his dynamics and creativity in education and skill development in nutshell. Though it was a mark of an end of an illustrious career, yet his influence will undoubtedly continue to resonate.

From literature to academia, from social reform to artistic innovation, his contributions have been as varied as they are profound. His legacy, a blend of creativity, intellect and a deep -seated desire for positive change, will continue to inspire and influence for generations to come.

His journey–the journey of a man who’s seamlessly transitioned from an engineer to an academic, found his passion in literature, who create unique styles of poetry, combining the knowledge of engineering, and science in philosophy and literature is quite unconventional and interesting. The interweaving between literature, theoretical engineering and practical engineering for the common masses that are unaware of the technology is a lesson for the future.

Born in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala in 1968, Shajil Anthru initially embarked on a career as an instrumentation engineer in Hindustan Latex Ltd, Trivandrum. His early professional life was marked by logic, precision, and the methodical approach typical of the engineering field. His inquisitiveness led to the innovation of modification of the Proportional Integral controller into an Adaptive predictive proportional integral control system, which paved the way to easy control of instrumentation systems.  

In a surprising career shift, Shajil Anthru’s career transitioned into academia in 1997. He established himself as a respected lecturer, Head of Department and Principal of various polytechnics of Kerala under the Government of Kerala. But his attainment to this position was through a different way. In curricula, educationalist preaches lateral thinking and to keep pace with future technology. But Shajil Anthru held that in heart for the benefit of the student and societal expectations of technology.

In 2005, when polytechnics did not think about soft skills or skill development, Shajil Anthruused international trainers to train his students in soft skills. Later, ISAP and soft skills became a subject in the polytechnic syllabus.

In 2008, he and his students built a mini glove plant as part of the project. Nowadays Polytechnics are discussing industry run labs and production centers.

In 2014, the first self-entrepreneurship was started by female students and the product was the cheapest sanitary napkin incinerator in the market. Shajil Anthru’s aim was to train and to empower students to earn along with their studies.

After many years, in 2019, these two have become part of the curriculum.

It was none but Shajil Anthru who took initiative to implement the Industry on Campus announced by the Government. The outcome was that he, as the Principal of Government Polytechnic College, was honored with the International Best Principal Award by the research institute I2OR, which operates from Australia and India. This award was conferred for him to realize the Industry On Campus directed by the Government of Kerala in 2019 and that too, the first one in India. Shajil Anthru had no model before him while he took up this challenge. His only strength was the inspiration he received by the Higher Education ministry of Kerala and, ASAP, Kerala. He transformed the concept of industry on campus from a formless to a structured form.

He then introduced the concept of Industry to House and Industry to Society to extend Industry on Campus to society.

He also introduced the concept of the Employment Mission with an aim to have a Zero Unemployability in the State in one year in the Navakerala Sadas/Sabha 2023.

Asked about the key to success and his future, Shajil Anthru said.

“I have been able to act with ethics, to stand up for what is right, to speak out and to fearlessly criticize what is wrong. Maybe that’s why I got the bouquets and pebbles alike. Even when I had to stand in the position of being intellectually “pick-pocketed” many times, I could face them with indifference because of my faith in myself. This hiatus in my life will not change my career beyond a change, of course.

My basic inspiration throughout my life is my late father, who is also a poet and social reformer. He is no more in this world since 2020. As per his wish, I had executed K M Anthru Foundation, a nonprofit organization known as KMAF.

The scope of work of KMAF will not be confined to any boundaries. We consider the human race is ONE and not to be discriminated over languages, countries, race, creed, color or gender. We are not averse to technology. With technological support, we intend to transcend the boundaries and extent to all.

As a litterateur, employee, organization leader and advocate, K M Anthru worked for the downtrodden and marginalized society. His view that education never ends reflects the importance of education. By educating and empowering the downtrodden and marginalized people by providing education and making employable is the key to development. His writings reflect the need for developing the nation by preserving the nature.

In this context, we find it befitting to work in the areas of Literature, Arts and Media, Developing Leaders in all domains, Educating and teaching skills for sustaining life, Nature Care and Health and Community Service”

To summarize, these are the words written by the eminent writer and poet of California Jack Foley about ‘Unveiling the New World’, the book written by Shajil Anthru.

“Unveiling the New World’, gives us access to such a moment in the writing life of the poet, essayist, publisher, engineer Shajil Anthru, whose fundamental mission––his life’s work––is nothing less than to redefine the world. In this, he is in the great tradition of Rilke and Shelley––even of Whitman…The American critic Paul de Man wittily labeled his essay on Jean-Jacques Rousseau, author of the Confessions, “excuses.” You will find no such necessity here. ShajilAnthru is a serious thinker who inhabits a serious planet which he sincerely wishes to change––for the better. This book is a hymn to the radical openness of his mind.”

His first published creative writing is an English poem at 11. Thereafter, he published stories, poems and essays in leading newspapers and magazines in Malayalam.

His published works are Rekshakante Varavu (2010)-Malayalam short story collection, Utharam(2013)–Malayalam novel, Swapanagalile Pakshi (2017)–Malayalam poetry collection, Over a Cup of Tea (2018) – Love story collection in English, Ey… CHU (2019) Collection of two love stories and Viswasahithyathile ettavum cheriya kadha (2020)–Malayalam story, Janus and other poems (2021)- English poems, Redefining Literature (2021)–English Literary essays, Six Word Stories (2021) – English stories , In Memoriam of Ernest Hemingway (2021) – English short stories, Fishbone Poetry(2021) – a new poetic form, The era of Zeroism (2021) – Essay about new era, Zeroism and shortest story (2021) – a collection of shortest story, its relation with Zeroism and screenplay based on shortest story, Neelakasham (2022)–Malayalam Poems, Kottaraviplavam (2022)–Malayalam Short Stories and Aakashathil ninnu irangi vannamuthalakal (2023)- Malayalam poems.

He is the Author of the shortest story in the world and founder of Fishbone Poetry–a new poetic form in the world. He is also the founder of Zeroism -New order of the day, an alternative to post Meta modernistic era. Media and community appreciated him as a propagator of Poetic Leadership, which is an alternate to authoritarian dictatorship, which is the only future for a sustainable world.

India Book of Records–awarded Record Title “Shortest love story” for his story “Ey” and confirmed on January 18, 2020.” Asia Book of Records also confirmed on May 11, 2021 ShajilAnthru (born on January 27, 1968) of Kerala, India, set a record for authoring the shortest love story. Later, Shajil Anthru set another record for writing the shortest story in one word (in English, Malayalam and Hindi). He wrote a book titled ‘Unveiling the New World’ which comprises 3 chapters wherein one chapter consists of a one-word story and Asia Book of Records confirmed on August 8, 2023.

His eight-year-old daughter Roshni Shajil also bagged India Book of Records for consecutive five paintings from her age of four for the cover of her father’s literary books. Her journey started in 2017 with her painting for the book “Swapnagalile Pakshi”. In 2018, she painted for the short story collection “Over a cup of tea” followed by the book of Shajil AnthruEy…Chu” which included the award-winning three worded story.

His wife, Mini Shajil, is a painter and poet, adding colors to an artistic family.

Currently, Shajil Anthru is the Chairman and Director of K M Anthru Foundation – a nonprofit organization, Chief Editor of International publication “Litterateur Redefining World”, Proprietor of “Real Magazine Productions” and Director of Eduzere Technologies Private Limited. Also, he instituted the prestigious     K M Anthru International Literature Prize” awarded to eminent personalities around the globe since 2021.

Sailing the high seas

An Autobiographical novel by Shajil Anthru

Chapter 9

Life is not a classroom A major change in life happened to me while I was in Grade VIII, IX and X. During Grade VIII, on the very first day class...

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Chapter 8

My first Story It was on 1981 August; I wrote my first short story in regional language Malayalam. Malayalam is a Dravidian language spoken in the...

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Chapter 7

Palma, the naughty lamb and the Saint I changed my school to St Joseph’s High School, Trivandrum, to join the fifth grade. While I was in St Roch’s...

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Chapter 6

Bengali We lived in Trivandrum city. The major portion of my former life was in West fort,Trivandrum near a temple. Landlords used to construct line...

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Chapter 5

Big lesson My next session of studies in grade one started at St Roch’s Convent, Trivandrum. As I told earlier, it was near the sea and airport. On...

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Chapter 4

Honest lie and spirits I remember little about my schooling in Tirunelveli. Also, I do not have an enough memory about my stay at Tamilnadu. We...

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Books by Shajil Anthru