Mangalore: Konkani academy announces awards

The Hindu

MANGALORE: The Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy has chosen three persons for its honorary award for 2009. In addition, it has chosen two persons for its annual book award for 2009.

Richard Castelino, Valerian D’Souza and Vasudeva Vaman Shenoy

Vasudeva Vaman Shenoy of Belgaum, Richard Castelino of Mangalore and Valerian D’Souza of Mysore have been chosen for the honorary award, according to president of the academy Kundapura Narayana Kharvi.

Cyril J. Sequeira of Mangalore has been chosen for the book award for his “Sulsulle” and M.P. Rodrigues of Gurupura, Mangalore, has been chosen for the same award for his Konkani poem “Rumdi Pulam”, Mr. Kharvi said in a release. The honorary award carries Rs. 10,000 in cash, a certificate and a memento while the book award carries Rs. 5,000 in cash, a certificate and a memento.

The awards will be presented at a function at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial College in Udupi on March 28 by Home Minister V.S. Acharya.

Mr. Shenoy has organised many Konkani programmes and worked as a journalist. Mr. Castelino is a filmmaker and has directed Konkani, Tulu and Kodava films. Mr. D’Souza has written more than 125 short stories in Konkani, Mr. Kharvi said.

He said that a special award would be presented to Gopala Kharvi, an expert swimmer.

Another special award will be given to Felix A. D’Souza of Mumbai, who has been writing articles and short stories in Konkani for many years, he said.