Karunakaran is an Indian poet, novelist, short story writer and essayist who writes in Malayalam. Known for an original style of writing, he has published a number of novels, short story anthologies, poetry anthologies, studies and essays. He was born in Pattambi, a town in Palakkad district of the south Indian state of Kerala. His oeuvre comprises novels such as Yuvaavaayirunna Onpathu Varsham and short story anthologies like Paayakkappal and he is a recipient of the 2019 O. V. Vijayan Sahitya Puraskaram. He lives in Kuwait.