Belagavi, the border district of Karnataka with a rich multilingual identity, continues to be a cradle of literary talent. From ancient poets to modern novelists and young prodigies, the district has nurtured writers across Kannada, Marathi, Konkani, Sanskrit, Hindi, and now, increasingly, English.

Legacy of literary giants

Belagavi’s literary journey dates back to early Kannada scholars like Rajaditya and Parshva Pandit. Later figures such as Betageri Krishna Sharma and B.M. Inamdar carried forward the tradition. Marathi writers like Baba Padmanji Mule and A.R. Sohro added to the region’s diverse contributions. Veteran Konkani writer V.V. Shenoy even hosted a global literary conference in the city.

Young voices in English

A wave of young writers is now embracing English. Atreya Anand Patil from Gokak published his first poetry book in Class 6 and has penned over 100 poems since. Pranav Shashibhushan Bayari, 15, authored and sold his debut novel The Rusted Riddle online — written in secret before even his parents knew.

Eighteen-year-old Vedant Phadke, inspired by Indian mythology, authored The Epics of Ved Verse and aims to become a filmmaker.

Polymaths and creators

FIDE Master Niranjan Navalgund juggles chess, writing, and music. His debut novella The Lively Library and an Unlikely Romance was born from a train-dream. His brother Chidambar also writes haiku.

Anuradha Mirji, a journalist and documentary filmmaker, turned novelist with Finding Love Again. Her second novel draws from her travels through coastal Karnataka.

Writers who bloomed late

Marie Raghavan began writing poetry later in life and has published six collections. She also supports budding poets through platforms like Rostrum Diaries.

Sudhir Joglekar, a former activist and journalist, now writes novels based on Indian epics with global creative collaborations. His futuristic take on the Mahabharata spans across continents in design and production.

Belagavi remains a vibrant confluence of languages, ideas, and literary generations — constantly evolving yet deeply rooted.