Kerala Sahitya Akademi or Academy for Malayalam literature is an autonomous body established to promote Malayalam language and literature. It is situated in City of Thrissur, Kerala in India. The academy was inaugurated on October 15, 1956, by Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, the former king of Travancore, in Thiruvananthapuram. It was shifted to its present location at City of Thrissur on September, 1957. Though the Kerala state government provides the funding and support for the academy, the administration of the academy is autonomous according to its constitution. The academy recognises superior literary works through its annual literary awards. As of 2011 the academy is headed by Malayalam novelist Perumbadavam Sreedharan, who is serving as its President, and writer Dr Krishnan Nair as its secretary. Sardar K M panicker was the first president.