He has a doctorate in post-structuralist poetics and was professor of English at Christ College, University of Calicut, Kerala, editor of Indian Literature, the journal of the Sahitya Akademi (The National Academy of Letters) and later the chief executive of the Akademi. He then worked as a language policy consultant for the Government of India and has also been associated with Katha, Delhi. He edits the SAARC journal Beyond Borders in English, the poetry quarterly Kerala Kavita in Malayalam and the South Asian Library of Literature. At present he is director and professor, School of Translation Studies and Training, Indira Gandhi National Open University, Delhi. He is also on the project advisory board, Indian Literature Abroad, a Government of India Initiative.