Son of Naduviledath Ayyappan and V.V. Janaki, he joined Tata Oil Mills Company, Kochi in 1941 and retired as the Public Relations Officer.
Writing
Sukumaran has to his credit over 80 books in the field of short stories, novels, travelogues, juvenile literature, drama, and translations. His stories have been translated to many Indian languages and English. He has won the Kerala Sahitya Academy Award for his short story collection Payasam and won National Award for his books, Manushyante Atmakadha and Nammude Bharana Chakram. He is also the recipient of Soviet Land Nehru Award for his book Raktha Nakshtrangalude Nattil. He was one of the pioneers in the literary genre of Malayalam short stories.
He has extensively traveled many parts of the world and published travelogues such as Pathinonnu European Nadukalil (Eleven European countries), Singapore Yathra Chitrangal, Nayagrayude Nattil, African Poorva Desangalil. He also wrote the screenplay for the film Janmabhumi, for which won the President's award.
Positions held
He was the executive committee member of Kerala Sahithya Academy, Sahithya Pravarthaka Sahakarana Sangham (SPCS) and Authors Guild of India. He was the Senate member of Kochi University and was also acclaimed as the advisor of Kerala Sahithya Parishath. He Was the Vice President of Eranakulam Public Library, and Secretary of Institute of Kerala Studies.
He attended the World Malayalee Conference at Washington in the year 1985.
He was a good orator in English and Malayalam and have spoken over 3000 stages in Kerala and different parts of India. He was the editor of 'Kalarangom' a house magazine of Tata Oil Mills Co., and permanent secretary of 'Tatapuram Kalasamithy'.
A trust was formed in the honour of the great writer's name in 1998. A publication ('Nammalariyunna Tatapuram') released in this commemoration includes articles written by leading Malayalam writers like ONV Kurup, Prof. S. Guptan Nair, Prof. M.K. Sanu, C. Radhakrishnan, etc., is a fitting tribute to his valuable contributions to Malayalam literature.
Family
He married Akkipadikkal Gomathy in 1944. His sons are K.S. Radhakrishnan, K.S. Jayaprakash, S.Bhagyanath and S. Harikumar. He also has a daughter, S. Roopalekha, and son-in-law, Rajagopalan Pullanikkatil.
Death
He died at Cochin in a private nursing home, on 26 October 1988 after a brief illness.[8]
^History of Indian Literature: .1911-1956, struggle for freedom: triumph and...:Sisir Kumar Das, p. 582
^Press Institute of India (1989). "Vidura". Vidura: Journal of the Press Institute of India (第 26 卷). C. Sarkar. ISSN0042-5303. Retrieved 10 April 2015.