As many as 30 young writers across the State were witness to the formal launch of their debut work by the Kannada Pustaka Praadhikaara (Kannada Book Authority), of whom, nearly 40 per cent were women.
Shalini Rajneesh, Chief Secretary, Kannada & Culture, and K.A. Dayanand, Director, Kannada & Culture took part in proceedings. Banjagere Jayaprakash, President, Kannada Pustaka Praadhikaara, said “In all, the 2011 and 2012 list of selected books runs to 30, and the authors represent the 30 districts of the State.”
Selections were made from nearly 500 books registered for the annual youth writers’ debut work release. The selected books are awarded an encouragement-prize of Rs. 10,000 each, given away at the function by the Kannada & Culture Minister, Umashri. The literary works emerging from these young authors are a selection representing several castes and professions to promote and awaken literary potential,” she said.
Mr. Jayaprakash deliberated on Kannada Pustaka Praadhikaara’s efforts to bring about a read-and-write revolution in Degree Colleges in every corner of the State. “Nanna Mechchina Pustaka” would be one such programme where each student gets to read and discuss a book of choice with classmates to bring about a literary development,” he said. He advised people of every region in the State to come up with forums like ‘Pustaka Premi Balaga’ where books are discussed for their literary value.
The selected books also touched upon a variety with diverse subjects. For example, Udantha Shivakumar from Mallathahalli near Kalagrama has, in his book ‘Gosumbe’ (Chameleon), discussed the positive ways in which we can stand for ‘healthy lifestyle and thoughts.’ “Humans cannot afford to ape a Chameleon that changed colours,” he says.
Dr. M. Aranyakumar Munenni from Dharwad, a student of Sitar maestro Rajeev Taranath, and a master of four rare instruments, has chronicled 120 Hindustani ragas for timely renditions. “Every raga in Hindustani is classified for their morning, noon, evening and night usages, and I have tried to give a historical characterisation to each one of them with my guru’s guidance,” he says.
Bhavya Haleyooru from Sirsi in Uttara Kannada, has in her Hosa Kannada 50 poems in ‘Matte Nenapaaguthaale Radhe’ brought out her creative thoughts on Krishna’s consort, much as her love for infrastructure, roads and rivers have her thoughts on them, while harassment on women is also something that she has deeply condemned.
