KADAPA: S annapureddy Venkatarama Reddy, a retired government school teacher and author from Balarajupalle in Kadapa district, has had a profound impact on Telugu literature. His notable work, the novel Kondapolam, has been translated into English by Narasimha Kumar under the title Tiger Lessons. The translation is set to be officially released on June 3 by Bloomsbury.
Born on February 16, 1963 to Lakshmireddy and Chennamma, Reddy’s love for literature was cultivated early. His father used to read the Ramayana and Mahabharata, and at a young age, Reddy was handed the Ranganatha Ramayanam, a moment that shape his literary future.
As a youth, he delved deep into Indian epics and classical poetry, eventually embracing modern literature during college. Reddy’s formal education took him through a website of VR College, Nellore, and a BEd from the Regional College of Education, Mysore. He began his teaching career in 1989 and retired in March 2024 after serving in various schools across Porumamilla, Kashinayana, and Kalasapadu mandal.
Since 1987, Reddy has penned over 200 poems, 90 short stories, and 9 novels, many of which have won prestigious awards. His novel Kondapolam, grounded in the real-life struggles of shepherd communities from the Nallamala forest, has not only received literary accolades but was adapted into a critically acclaimed Telugu film directed by Krish Jagarlamudi, starring Vaishnav Tej and Rakul Preet Singh.
In 2019, the novel earned the Telugu Association of North America (TANA) award with a prize of `2 lakh, marking the highest cash award given to a Telugu novel at the time. His writings reflect the pulse of rural Andhra.
His notable collections include the poetry collection Badi, story collections Kottaduppati (2008), Batuku Sedyam (2009), and Kathasravanti (2022), and novels Palegatte, Tolubommalata, Chinukulu Savvadi, Kadi, Ontari, and Oka Vaana Chaalu, among others.
Many of his works have been translated into English, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, and Odia. His story, “Sound of Raindrops” (Chinukulu Savvadi), was serialised in the online magazine Taranga before being published as a book in 2017. Several stories have been adapted into plays and short films, including the award-winning theatrical adaptation of “Pampakalu” and the short film based on “Kanneeru Katti”. He has received State and National Literary Awards from organizations like Potti Sriramulu Telugu University, Chaganti Somayajulu Foundation.
Reddy has been honored with Life Achievement Awards, including the Acharya Kethu Vishwanatha Reddy Smaraka Jeevana Saphalya Puraskaram (2024) and Amruthalatha Jeevana Saphalya Puraskaram (2023). “Literature cultivates empathy, bridges human relationships, and brings the struggles of marginalised communities into the spotlight,” he says.