THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Noted poet, author and former chief secretary K Jayakumar has been chosen for the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award. His work Pingalakeshini was selected for the award in the Malayalam category. The award is in the form of a casket containing an engraved copper-plaque, a shawl and an amount of Rs 1 lakh.
The award jury for Malayalam comprised Prabha Varma, Kavadiyar Ramachandran and M Krishnan Nampoothiri. The jury unanimously selected Pingalakeshini from nine works recommended for the award, the Akademi said in a statement. The award function will be held at Kamani Auditorium, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi.
Responding to the media, Jayakumar said the award was a big honour. "As a writer it is the happiest day for me," he said.
The annual awards in 21 languages were announced on Wednesday . They include eight books of poetry, three of novels, two of short stories, three of essays, three of literary criticism, one each on theatre and research.
A popular lyricist, Jayakumar had penned lyrics for about a hundred Malayalam films, including several hit songs. He had earlier received the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for overall contributions and the coveted Asan Poetry Prize.