CHENNAI: Writer Udhayasankar was selected for the Bal Sahitya Puraskar Award for his novel Aadhanin Bommai and Ram Thangam was selected for Yuva Puraskar Award for Thirukarthiyal, a collection of short stories. The awards conferred by Sahitya Akademi come with engraved copper plaque and a cheque of Rs 50,000.
Governor RN Ravi and Chief Minister MK Stalin congratulated the award winners. The chief minister said Aadhanin Bommai was written with Keezhadi excavations as its theme and it makes known “our roots to the youth”. Udhayasankar has captured the pain of experiencing hunger in childhood. Former chief minister O Panneerselvam, and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi president MH Jawahirullah among others have congratulated the award winners.
Udhayasankar was born in 1960 in Kovilpatti in Thoothukudi district. In association with literary personalities in Kovilpatti, Udhayasankar started writing poems in the 1980s and later authored short stories. In the 1990s, he started writing for children and so far he has written more than 100 books. Udhayasankar is also a homoeopathic doctor and along with his works, he wrote a book titled Ethu Maruthuvam.
The books authored by him include - Munnoru Kalathil (Once Upon a time), Pirithoru Maranam (One more death), Mayakkannadi (Illusion Mirror), and Kumarapuram Railway Stationil Oriraru (A Night in the Kumarapuram Railway station).
Ram Thangam was born on February 28, 1988, in Nagercoil in Kanniyakumari district. Earlier, he was working with Ananda Vikatan and Dinakaran Tamil daily. His first book Gandhiraman was published in 2015. Later, his works Oor Sutri Paravai and Meenava Veeranukku Oru Kovil were published.
His first short story Thirukarthiyal was published in Ananda Vikatan in December 2017 and in the next year, the short story collection titled Thirkarthiyal was published. Thangam has also authored many books including Rajavanam, a novel, his second collection of short stories titled Pulikuthi, travelogues Kadavulin Desathil (Two parts) and the like.