Devipriya, Venna Vallabha Rao Get Sahitya Akademi Awards

Eminent writer-journalist Devipriya and remowned writer-translator Venna Vallabha Rao have been picked for the prestigious Kendra Sahitya Akademi awards for the year 2017 for their contributions to Telugu language.

While Devipriya has been awarded the honour for his anthology "Gali Rangu" (colour of air), Vallabha Rao was given the honour for his Telugu translation "Viramam Erugani Payanam" of Khana Badosh's biography written in Punjabi.

The awards will be presented in February, and consist of a casket containing an engraved copper-plaque, a shawl and a cheque of Rs. 1 lakh.

Devipriya was born Shaik Khaja Hussain in Guntur on August 15, 1949. He was a student at the Guntur AC College, from where he graduated with a B. A., when he first started writing poetry. Subsequently he worked in several newspapers as a journalist and cartoonist, and even as editor for the "Prajatantra" and "Hyderabad Mirror" newspapers. With works like "Samajanandaswamy" and "Running Commentary", his own twist on cartoon poetry, to his credit, he gave birth to a new form of Telugu journalism.

He is also widely feted for his work in the field of Telugu cinema, where his screenplays for the films "Dasi" and "Rangulakala", and lyrics "Jam Jambalbaro Vey Kallajerri" for the film "Mahabhoomi" are widely acknowledged even today.

Some of his other famous writings include Amma Chettu (1979), Garibu Geethalu (1992), Neetiputta (1990), Thoophanu Thummeda (1999), Aranya Puranam, Pitta Kooda Egiripovalsinde (2001), Chepachiluka (2005), Adhyaksha Manninchandi (editorials) (2010), Gali Rangu (2011), Gandkuti (2009), Insha Allah (poetry), Poornamma - The Golden Doll (Translation) and The Cobra Dancer (biography of K J Rao).