The Corpse Collector: A True Story
The Corpse Collector: A True Story
Niyas Kareem (Author), Vinu P (Author), Ministhy S. (Translator)
- Publication date : 16 January 2026
- Print length : 256 pages
- ISBN-10 : 9353455219
- ISBN-13 : 978-9353455217
In India, an unnatural death – an accident, a suicide, a killing –turns a human body into something untouchable. The moment life leaves it, caste, fear and stigma turn the deceased into an abomination, an object no one will approach. Families recoil,neighbours avert their eyes and even those tasked with public duty step back. And into that silence walks Vinu.
A professional corpse collector, Vinu P does what society refuses to do. With compassion that seems bottomless, he gathers shattered bodies from roadsides and canals, helps the police with inquests and post-mortems, and buries the unclaimed dead with dignity. He is the last witness to countless lives – and yet, for the people he serves, he remains invisible, shunned and expendable.
This searing memoir – written by Vinu P and Niyas Kareem, and translated from the Malayalam with elegance and clarity by the acclaimed Ministhy S. – tells the story of a man who has spent his life among the dead but is most wounded by the living. A critically acclaimed bestseller in Malayalam, it is a portrait of cruelty, neglect, and the quiet heroism that survives despite both. A literary work of rare power, The Corpse Collector forces us to confront the bodies we refuse to see – and the humanity we abandon with them.
In India, an unnatural death – an accident, a suicide, a killing –turns a human body into something untouchable. The moment life leaves it, caste, fear and stigma turn the deceased into an abomination, an object no one will approach. Families recoil,neighbours avert their eyes and even those tasked with public duty step back. And into that silence walks Vinu.
A professional corpse collector, Vinu P does what society refuses to do. With compassion that seems bottomless, he gathers shattered bodies from roadsides and canals, helps the police with inquests and post-mortems, and buries the unclaimed dead with dignity. He is the last witness to countless lives – and yet, for the people he serves, he remains invisible, shunned and expendable.
This searing memoir – written by Vinu P and Niyas Kareem, and translated from the Malayalam with elegance and clarity by the acclaimed Ministhy S. – tells the story of a man who has spent his life among the dead but is most wounded by the living. A critically acclaimed bestseller in Malayalam, it is a portrait of cruelty, neglect, and the quiet heroism that survives despite both. A literary work of rare power, The Corpse Collector forces us to confront the bodies we refuse to see – and the humanity we abandon with them.
Author Bios:
Vinu P, born in 1985, has been a professional corpse handler since the age of fifteen. He assists the police authorities in Aluva, Kerala, in gathering the remains of those who have died unnatural deaths.
Niyas Kareem has been a journalist for twenty five years. He is currently senior editorial coordinator for Malayala Manorama Publications. This is his first book.
Ministhy S. is an IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre. She translates among three languages: Malayalam, English and Hindi. Her translations have featured in the JCB Prize for Literature shortlist, the Crossword Book Jury Award shortlist, the Green Book Award longlist, the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature longlist and the Valley of Words Award longlist.
Vinu P, born in 1985, has been a professional corpse handler since the age of fifteen. He assists the police authorities in Aluva, Kerala, in gathering the remains of those who have died unnatural deaths.
Niyas Kareem has been a journalist for twenty five years. He is currently senior editorial coordinator for Malayala Manorama Publications. This is his first book.
Ministhy S. is an IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre. She translates among three languages: Malayalam, English and Hindi. Her translations have featured in the JCB Prize for Literature shortlist, the Crossword Book Jury Award shortlist, the Green Book Award longlist, the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature longlist and the Valley of Words Award longlist.
