The prestigious Kusumagraj Rashtriya Bhasha Sahitya Puraskar, instituted by the Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University (YCMOU), was announced to Malayali poet K Satchidanandan.
It is awarded to eminent writers for their contributions to Indian literature.
This year the Kusumgraj Chair of the varsity has honoured K Satchidanandan for his contributions to poetry in Malayalam and his translations of poems from various languages, including international ones.
K Satchidanandan, who first collection of poems Anchu Suryan (Five Suns) was published in 1970 and is recognized as one of the most important land mark in Malayali literature.
His collections titled 'Evannekudi Malayalam' and ‘Sakhayngal’ are also popular.
Sachhidanandan's work has been translated into French, Italian, German, Arabic, Chinese, Spanish and other languages.
He is also credited with 19 translations of foreign and Indian language collection of poems.
He has represented India and presented his poems at 21 international poetry festivals. He was specially recognised in Poland and Italy for his work. His name had also been featured in the probable list for the 2011 Nobel Prize.
The award, a cash purse of Rs1 lakh, a memento and citation, will be presented K Satchidanandan at a function at YCMOU in Nashik February 28, 2012, the the birth anniversary of Dyanpeeth award winner Late VV Shirvadkar aka Kavi Kusumagraj.
The function will be presided over by Dr Ashok Vajapayee, director, Kala Academy, Government of India, New Delhi in the presence of YCMOU Vice-Chancellor Dr Krishnakumar, it was announced.
The first award was presented to eminent literateur Chandrakant Devtale last year. This year the selection committee of Dr Chandrakant Patil, Dr Satish Kalsekar and Dr Nishikant Thakar chose K Satchidanandan for his contributions.
