VIJAYAWADA: Noted novelist Dr Madhurantakam Narendra and Poet Varala Anand have been announced as the winners of the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award-2022 under the novel and translation categories, respectively, on Thursday.Narendra’s ‘Manodharma Paragam’ is based on the life of Devadasis and highlights how they played a vital role in disseminating South Indian classical culture of Carnatic music and Bharatanatyam for two decades.
A retired professor in the department of English at SV University, Narendra is a multilingual author, poet and novelist from Damalacheruvu in Chittoor district.Expressing delight on receiving the prestigious award, he said, “I got a chance to study casteism, culture, civilisation in Kondaveedu, where Telugu and Tamil cultures bloom together, and write about it.”
He explained, “My novel explores human relations and complexities of life. The award will bring more recognition to my book from readers across the world, thereby ensuring that it is translated into more languages.”Varala Anand from Telangana’s Karimnagar impressed the Sahitya Akademi jury with Akupaccha Kavithalu, his translation of Gulzar’s Green Poems.
“The simplicity of Gulzar Sahib’s words, expressing his innate connection with nature, is what moved me,” Anand recalled and said, “The credit goes to Gulzar as the feelings in the poem are his. Among Neglected Poems, Suspected Poems and Green Poems, I chose the latter for its expression of human relation with nature.”
Crediting veteran poet for his win, Anand expressed happiness on receiving the prestigious award. Meanwhile, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy congratulated Varala Anand and Madhuranthakam Narendra for winning the Sahitya Akademi Award. He lauded them for bringing laurels to Telugu literature.