(i) Vaikkom Muhammad Basheer was an early Muslim writer who wrote in Malayalam.
(ii) Basheer’s works were based on his own rich experience rather than scholarly pursuits.
(iii) He did not have much education. When he was a young child, he left home to join the salt satyagraha. He travelled widely in India and also in Arabia, working in ships. He also had association with Sufis and Hindu Sanyasis.
(iv) Basheer’s short novels and stories were written in simple spoken language which could be easily understood by all.
(v) With wonderful humour, Basheer wrote aboutthe everyday life of the Muslim households. Themes were generally related to poverty, insanity and life in prisons.