Kerala: Fellowships for Unithiri, Valsala; Meesha best novel

THRISSUR:

Novelist P Valsala

and

Sanskrit scholar Prof NVP Unithiri

have been selected for the

Kerala Sahitya Academy Fellowship for 2019

. The fellowship carries a cash prize of Rs 50,000, gold locket weighing two sovereigns, a citation, and a ponnada.

The academy has selected Dalit Bandhu N K Jose, U Kalanathan, C P Aboobacker, Rose Mary, Palakkezhu Narayanan and P Apputtan for the

awards

for ‘total contribution’ to the literary field. This award carries a cash prize of Rs 30,000, a citation, a plaque and a ponnada.

P Raman (Rathri Panthrandarakku Oru Thayattu) and M R Renukumar (Kothiyan) bagged the academy award for poetry. S Hareesh’s ‘Meesha’ won the award for novel. Vinoy Thomas (Ramachi) is the winner in the short story section while Sajitha Madathil and Jisha Abhinaya have shared the award in the drama section. Historian MGS Narayanan has been selected for the award in the biography and autobiography section while Gandhian K Aravindakshan bagged the award for translation. RVG Menon and G Madhusoodhanan shared the honour in the informatics literature section.

Director and writer Sathyan Anthikkad has been selected for the award for humorous literature while K M Anil bagged the award for literary criticism.

BJP flays ‘Meesha’ selection

BJP state president K Surendran strongly attacked the government for selecting the novel ‘Meesha’ for the award. Surendran alleged that the novel was the most defamatory book released in Malayalam. “Selection of such a book for the award was a continuation of the anti-Hindu stance of the LDF government. The government had adopted a similar anti-Hindu stance in the Sabarimala issue too,” he said.