K. R. Meera (born 19 February 1970) is an Indian author and journalist, who writes in Malayalam. She was born in Sasthamcotta, Kollam district in Kerala. She worked as a journalist in Malayala Manorama but later resigned to concentrate more on writing. She started writing fiction in 2001 and her first short-story collection Ormayude Njarambu was published in 2002. Her novel Arachar came out in 2012 and became quite a sensation in the Malayalam literary scene and it went on to win the Central Sahitya Akademi award. In 2015, Penguin brought out the English translation of this novel, titled, Hangwoman. Although, Hangwoman is a Malayalam novel, the themes that it deals with are pan-Indian. It depicts the multi-layered othering in Indian society and it also reflects the predicaments of contemporary India. The novel stands out for its close portrayal of the life of a marginalised woman and her resistance to the subjugation that is meted out to her. She received several awards including the Kerala Sahitya Akademy Award, Odakkuzhal Award, Vayalar Award and Kendra Sahitya Akademy Award for her novel Aarachaar.