Writer K.K. Nair who jointly bagged the Sahitya Akademi Prize for Translation, 2012, died after a brief illness at the Kasturba Hospital here on Monday. He was 78.
He bagged the Sahitya Akademi Prizes for Translations, 2012 along with Ashok Kumar. They together translated Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai’s Malayalam novel Kayar into Kannada. Kannada translation was titled Hagga .
He along with Dr. Ashok Kumar, also won the Karnataka Sahitya Akademi Translation Award in 1997 for Ondu Oorina Kathe , for his Kannada translation of S.K. Pottekkatt’s Malyalam novel Oru Desatthinte Katha .
He also won the Central Institute of Indian Languages Award, 1989, for Agnisakshi , a Kannada translation of Lalithambika Antharjanam’s Malayalam novel Agnisakshi .
Nair translated about 200 to 300 short stories from Malayalam to Kannada.
.He is survived by his wife, two sons, and a daughter. Sreedharan Nair, K.K. Nair’s son, told The Hindu that his father (K.K. Nair’s) would be donated to the Anatomy Department of Kasturba Hospital here as per his (K.K. Nair’s) wishes.
Mr. Nair, who was born in Arthil village in Kannur district, Kerala, came up in life the hard way. He had little formal school education and had studied till class four.
Speaking to The Hindu on December 21, 2012, after bagging the Sahitya Akademi Prize for Translation, 2012, K.K. Nair said many deserving people had never received awards or prizes. “I never expected this prize. I think I am fortunate to get the prize. But I feel happier when my translations are appreciated,” he said.
“We used to read mythological stories in our house. Thus developed my love for literature,” K.K. Nair said.
