Karoor Neelakanta Pillai was born on February 22, 1898, in
Ettumanoor, in
Kottayam district of the south Indian state of
Kerala to Kunhiliyamma and Neelakanta Pillai. His formal education lasted only up to 7th standard though he was known to have been good at studies. He began his career as a school teacher at a local school in
Kadappoor but quit his job when he got a government job as a teacher at the local school in
Pothanikkad. While on job at various places such as Ettumanoor, Vemballi and
Kanakkari, he pursued his studies and passed 9th standard in 1913 as well as the teachers' training examinations. Pillai became associated with the
Adhyapaka Maha Sabha (teachers' union) in 1920 and two years later, he was elected as its secretary. they registered the
Sahithya Pravarthaka Sahakarana Sangham (SPCS - Writers' Cooperative Society) with Paul and Pillai as the president and the secretary of the society, respectively. He held the position of the secretary for two decades and when he relinquished the position in 1965, the society had already made a mark in the publishing sector, with the integration of National Book Stall in 1949. He died in September 30, 1975, at the age of 77. == Bibliography ==