Anupama Ravindran Menon, fondly known as her Anu, is a second generation Malaysian Keralite whose roots trace back to native God’s own country. Born and brought up in the humble suburbs of old Seremban town in Malaysia, she is the oldest of her siblings, brought up in the warm embrace of her beloved family who she quotes as the crux of everything she is today dedicating it mainly to her dad, Mr Ravindran Menon. Upon being conferred the scholarship of the Malaysian Defense Ministry & obtaining MBBS from Manipal University, she completed her internship & began serving as a doctor in the Malaysian Armed Forces.
As a call of duty, Anu was privileged to have served under the United Nation’s (UN) flagship in a peacekeeping operation in Lebanon in 2019-2020 (UNIFIL) as a part of an entourage of the Malaysian Battalion 850-7. Amongst many other feathers adorned on her hat, she also juggled the role as the Gender Focal Point representative for the contingent. Anu personally felt gratified for the wonderful opportunity to be walking hand in hand with all these beautiful ladies of all walks of life, hearing & experiencing their life first hand. She was also an active part of the COVID-19 crisis team under the tutelage of UNIFIL Medical HQ & WHO. Furthermore, she was the representative speaker for Malaysia, in international virtual symposiums to present regarding the adversities & challenges of COVID-19 in operational areas, namely by Vietnamese Defence & UNDPKO & CUNPKO of India.
As much as she loves practicing medicine, she is also in awe of art in its every form. Anu finds it addictive diving into books & splashing colors over a blank canvas… She enjoys snapping shots of nature, trying to capture the perfect moment of a heartbeat in a single click of camera lens. Hence, a doctor in the armed forces, Nature’s photographer, writer & painter, the new kid around the block…
So, how did it all begin in the first place? Travelling down memory lane, she remembers strutting in the hallway whilst basking in the ambience of the vintage aroma of old hardback books that filled bookshelves of her dad’s library, watching her mom cut out articles from good old News Straits Times to pin up on our reading board & observing her Amumma & Apuppa turn the crisp cut pages of their monthly subscribed Reader’s Digest as they read & narrate stories to the eagerly excited grandchildren. She reminisces them as some snippets of her many fond memories of childhood. They sowed early seeds of fascination towards reading & writing personifying as her fundamental literary cornucopia.
She did her first solo art exhibition entitled “Hridhaya: The Language of Heartbeats” in 2019. She has also authored two books, first published as a joint author in “Plotpourri-anthology of short stories”, followed by her debut solo venture “Dear Manusha” which has also won her multiple awards and recognitions despite being the new kid in the block.
ACHIEVEMENTS of Anupama Ravindran Menon
MEDICINE & FORCES
- Awarded the “Excellence Service Award of 2022” for her outstanding service as a dedicated doctor in her unit.
- Awarded the United Nations Peace Keeping Medal & Honorary certificate for contributions as UN ambassador & medical officer in 2020.
- Awarded Honorary certificate for being a part of the UNIFIL COVID-19 Crisis team in 2020.
- Received Honorary certificates for being the representing speaker of Malaysia in the International Virtual Symposium of Adversities & Strategies of Handling COVID-19 in area of operation organised by Vietnamese Defence Ministry & UNDPKO & by CUNPKO India.
- One of the Key speakers as Gender Focal Representative in conjunction with the 20th Anniversary of UNSCR 1325 Women Peace Security UN
- Participant & Battalion Coordinator for INTERNATIONAL EX MASCAL-2020 MASS CASUALTY LIVE EXERCISE UNIFIL to test for the preparedness of UNIFIL medical sector to handle mass disasters.
- Speaker & joint organiser for curbing Malaria outbreak amongst military personnel in collaboration with The Johore State Health Department of Infectious Disease & Entomology & Royal medical Corps in 2017-2018.
WRITING
- First prize in Notion Press International Short Stories writing Competition 2018.
- Published as joint author along with 19 other authors in Plotpourri, an anthology of short stories by Notion Press in 2018.
- Published debut novel venture entitled “Dear Manusha” under the publication house of Notion Press in 2019
- First runner up in the 7th Indie’s Author Championship by Notion Press in 2023
- Awardee of Sheroes Nari Samman 2023 Award by TWIC-PWP
- Awardee of Banabhatta Saahityik Puraskaar 2023 Award by Cherrybook Awards & Digital Golgappa
- Awardee of Pratibha Samman 2023 Award by SheForward Official
- Awardee of Bharat Bhushan Ratna Samman 2023 by PWP.
- Awardee for Maharishi Valmiki Bharathiya Samman 2023 Award by Cherrybook Awards
- Awardee of Helen Keller Global Iconic Womanhood 2023 Award by TWIC
- Awardee for Tagore Ratna Samman 2023 in the category “Best Woman Writer of the Year by PWP.
- Awardee of Inspiring Indians 2023 by BharatGuild
- Nominee of Litfest 2023 & Author of the Year 2023 by Ne8x Litfest
- Podcast interview of author by Koalakraft India 2023 & multiple interviews across The Pink Stories, The Update India, Hindustan Metro, Asia Times Now etc.
- Featured as “Diverse Voices of Southeast Asia: India’s Top 3 Favourite Writers” in India Thrive & Hindustan Metro.
- Also Featured as “7 Upcoming Personalities & Voices of India” in multiple platforms namely, ANI news (Asian News International), The British Columbia Times, USA World Today, The London News Channel etc.
- Awardee of William Shakespeare Golden book & Laureate 2023 Award by PWP & TIWC
- Featured as cover star for Sheroes Magazine May- June edition by PWP.
- Awardee of Kalam Rashtriya Prathibha Samman for Best Inspiring Woman of the Year 2023 by PWP
- Awardee of Jane Austen International Platinum Book Award for “Best Inspiring Laureate of the Year” by PWP.
- Featured in International Literature Council for Women 2023.
- Awardee of Prestigious Rabindranath Ragore Award in Literature by DRDC in 2023.
ART
- Successfully completed first Solo Art Exhibition entitled “Hridhaya: The Language of Heartbeats” in 2019
- Awarded Champion for Dream Theme Category in the International Young Fine Art Artists Open Competition 2023.
