Kerala Sahitya Akademi awards: Indugopan, Anitha win bests

Thrissur/Kerala: The Kerala Sahitya Akademi on Thursday announced the winners of its 2024 literary awards, recognising both emerging and established voices in Malayalam literature, reports PTI.

Writer G R Indugopan won the award for best novel for his work "Aano", while poet Anitha Thampi received the poetry award for her collection "Muringa Vazha Kariveppu".

V Shinilal was honoured in the short story category for his work "Garisappa Aruvi Athava Oru Jalayathra".

CPI(M) leader M Swaraj has won the Sibi Kumar Endowment Award in the essay category for his book "Pookkalude Pusthakam." Veteran authors K V Ramakrishnan and Ezhacheri Ramachandran were selected for the prestigious Akademi Fellowship and Lifetime Contribution Award in recognition of their significant and lasting impact on Malayalam literature.

Other major awards were given to Sashidharan Naduvil for drama, G Dileep for literary criticism, Deepak V for scientific literature, and Dr K Rajashekharan Nair for biography/autobiography.

The travel writing award went to K R Ajayan, while Chinthu Prakash received the prize for translation.

In the children's literature category, E N Sheeja was selected, and Niranjan received the award for humour.

Each of these awards carries a cash prize of Rs 25,000, a plaque, and a certificate.

The Fellowship and Lifetime Contribution Awards include Rs 50,000, a two-sovereign gold medal, a citation, a shawl, and a plaque.

Six writers--P K N Panicker, Payyannur Kunhiraman, M M Narayanan, T K Gangadharan, K E N, and Mallika Yunis--were also honoured with Lifetime Contribution Awards.

They will each receive Rs 30,000, along with a plaque, shawl, and certificate.

No work was found suitable for the Vilasini Award this year, the Akademi said.