After two years, the Karnataka Sahitya Academy has been revived into action with writer Malathi Pattanashetty taking charge as its chairperson.
She told The Hindu that her first priority was to revive the academy and restart all the major programmes that had hit a roadblock. The sahitya academy’s award had not been presented since 2011. The awards for 2011 and 2012 would be presented this year while those for 2013 and 2014 would be given next year. “We will form a jury soon and ensure that credible names are in the panel,” Ms. Pattanashetty said.
She said she would see to it that bilingual magazine Aniketana was revived.
Ms. Pattanashetty, who hails from Dharwad, said literary activities in the State were disproportionately concentrated in Bangalore and Dharwad. “There are very many writers in the districts that have fallen off the Kannada literary map off late. These writers feel orphaned. I aspire to take the academy back to villages and make it more accessible,” she said.
She has drawn up elaborate plans to hold creative writing workshops at the district level, a first in Kannada, and also an annual plenary for young writers. “I am also aware that many of the leading young urban writers of today are not participating in activities of either the Kannada Sahitya Parishat or the academy. I will try to bring them into our fold,” she said. She also plans to revive the publication programme of the academy and concentrate on women-related and environment issues.
