Manikrao Gawanekar | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Jayanthi Naik | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The Vishwa Konkani Kendra, Mangaluru, on Tuesday, announced its annual Vimala V. Pai Vishwa Konkani literary awards for 2022.
Kendra president Nandagopal Shenoy in a release here said Tichi Kanni (her story) by Goa’s eminent Konkani author Jayanthi Naik was selected for the Vimala V. Pai Vishwa Konkani Sahitya Puraskar 2022 being given for the best Konkani literary work of the year.
The Kavitha Puraskar would be given to Bhitaralo Kavi (poet of the inner soul) by eminent Konkani poet and writer Valley Quadros from Mumbai.
Konkani Siddi Samman, instituted to recognise a personality contributing immensely for the growth of Konkani language, literature and culture, would be senior Konkani leader, writer and translator Manikrao Gawanekar of Goa in recognition of his lifetime contribution.
The awards carry a purse of ₹1 lakh each along with an award memento which will be bestowed on the recipients at the Annual Vishwa Konkani Puraskar Ceremony to be held on February 9 at 10 a.m. at the World Konkani Centre. The awards were sponsored by T.V. Mohandas Pai in the name of his mother Vimala V. Pai, and were being presented annually since 2010.
Selection for awards was based on a two-tier evaluation process: a preliminary panel consisting of 16 referees recommends the books shortlisted from among the published books during the award period. Based on these recommendations, a five-member jury makes the final selections for the award.
The Award Jury for 2022 comprised Uday Bhembre, Kiran Budkuley, Payyanur Ramesh Pai, Melwyn Rodrigues and Gokuldas Prabhu. World Konkani Centre founded by Konkani Bhas Ani Sanskriti Prathistan, a premier Konkani organisation established in 1996 under the leadership of Vishwa Konkani Sardar Basti Vaman Shenoy, has been working towards preservation of Konkani language and culture since inception.
