Mangaluru: Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy Honorary awards will be conferred on H. M. Pernal, Ramesh Kamath and Kumuda Gadakar in a function to be held at Kaashimata, Bengaluru on September 18.
Higher Education Minister Dr. C. N. Ashwath Narayan, and Minister for Kannada and Culture V. Sunil Kumar will give away the awards. While Konkani Literary Award will be conferred on H. M. Pernal, Konkani Art Award on Ramesh Kamath, and Konkani Folk Award on Kumuda Gadakar.
About the awardees
H. M. Pernal
Henry Mendonca, popularly known as H. M. Pernal is a fluent writer in Konkani, Kannada, English, Marathi and Hindi. His poems and short stories have been published in Kannada periodicals like Taranga, Mallige, Thaayinudi among others. He began his work in Konkani as a cartoonist in the periodical Yuvak.
Pernal’s over 750 poems, over 100 short stories and over 2000 essays and articles in the last 38 years. Cholyank Chothrai (1999), and Kaidyachyo Kavita (2004) are among his published collection of poems. Devaak sodullo Pado (2002) and Beeg ani Beegatha (2016) are the published short story collectiond.
Konkani Kavyem: Rupam ani Rupakam (2021) is a collection of critical essays on modern Konkani poetry.
He was selected as the Poet of the Year by popular literary website daaiz.com in 2006. He is the founder and editor/publisher of premier Konkani literary website www.kittall.com, which is in its 12th year of non-stop publication. He is also the founder and publisher of ARSO Konkani magazine. He runs a Konkani publication house, Kittal Publications. Kittal Youth Award is presented by him, which is sponsored by NRI entrepreneur and philanthropist Leo Rodrigues and family. He is a round recipient of prestigious Smt Vimala V. Pai Award for the year 2018, by the World Konkani Centre, for the best literary creation for his collection of short stories ‘Beeg Ani Bigath’.
Ramesh Kamath
Ramesh Kamath is a well-known face in the field of drama, film and social welfare activities. He is the only Konkana from the State who holds degree in film-making.
Producer and director of three Konkani films, he has acted in 5 Konkani plays. NAKA Association of US awarded him life time achievement award in the year 2016.
Kumuda Gadakar
Kumuda Gadakar is known name in Konkani folk. She has performed in 60 to 70 Konkani drama and played more than 100 Konkani Yakshagana roles. She is a performer at Karwar Karavali Utsav for the past 15 years.
