HYDERABAD: Literary giant KK Ranganathacharyulu died of Covid-19 at a private hospital in Hyderabad on Saturday. He was 80.
Popularly known as KKR, he worked as a professor in the Telugu Department at Hyderabad Central University from 1987 to 2003 and was Dean of the School of Humanities.
He had also worked as a lecturer at Andhra Saraswatha Parishat College from 1967 to 1987. He was a close friend of Digambara poets Jwalamukhi and Nikhileswar, and had penned several books himself.
He was also among the 14 people who signed the statement on July 4, 1970 launching the Viplava Rachayitala Sangham (Revolutionary Writers’ Association (popularly known as Virasam).
Though he was not a member of Virasam for long, he continued as a well-wisher and was closely associated with other Virasam members.
Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao expressed his condolences and recalled KKR’s services to Telugu literature. TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu too expressed his condolences.