A beautiful painting is what one would traditionally hang on the walls of a drawing room. Not even a poem. Hardly anyone would think of hanging a short story on the wall! But if your mind is as creative as that of writer P.K. Parakkadavu, who is known for his short, but profound stories, you would explore that possibility as well.
The writer, who has more than 30 collections of short stories to his credit, has created a gallery of hanging stories on the walls of his drawing room at his residence at Rahman Bazar in Kozhikode. Neatly framed stories, most of them a few lines long, which are typical of the writer, with his own illustrations, hang on the walls of his drawing room, to the pleasant surprise of the visitors. “It’s a new thought and I don’t think anyone has done it earlier,” says Mr. Parakkadavu.
He however gives part of its credit to his wife Zebunnisa, who pushed him continuously to actualise the idea. Each story also comes with their English translations by the writer on the same A3 sheet used for the experimental medium. They are selected based on the distinct nature of their content. “Besides being particularly short and pleasant, they should alwith the hanging so be able to enliven a drawing room with its content,” he says.
For example, the story Jwala (Flame) with a strong message against dowry and Ottaykku (Alone) which talks in minimum words about the loneliness of God in the heavens have already been booked by more than a few people for their interesting nature. The writer has already completed around 20 of them and many more are in the pipeline.
Ms. Parakkadavu also gives her inputs in the selection process. “They are not for drawing rooms alone. I have already selected some for the kitchen walls as well,” says Ms. Zebunnisa, who believes that there are stories by his spouse that suits almost all walls of a home, including that of a bedroom, dining room and the doorways.
The writer’s hanging-stories, which he is yet to exhibit anywhere outside, are already a hit with readers from different parts of the world making phone calls enquiring for the framed stories for their signature value. “At least a couple of them are hanging on the walls in countries like Saudi Arabia and Bahrain already,” he says.
