Sahitya Akademi award for Katyayani Vidmahe

Warangal: Noted litterateur and a Telugu professor at Kakatiya University, Katyayani Vidmahe, has won the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award for the year 2013.

Katyayani has been selected for the award for her ‘Sahitya Akasamlo Sagam’ – a compilation of essays. It may be noted she is the second person from Warangal district to get the coveted award; earlier noted writer Amphasayya Naveen won the award.

Speaking to The Hans India over phone from the US, where she is visiting her daughter, Katyayani said, “The award belongs to all the women writers in the state. An extensive research on women writers in Telugu language is the need of the hour. I am very happy to get the award.”

Vidmahe was born at Mailavaram village in Addanki mandal in Prakasam district on November 3, 1955. She had her education in Warangal and Hyderabad.

She started her teaching career in 1977 at Kakatiya University. She was awarded her PhD for research on a famous Telugu novel ‘Chivaraku Migiledi’ written by Buchi Babu. She is a popular teacher and writer and has been involved in feminist activism and Marxism, and has written many essays on women’s issues. Prof. Katyayani has to date around 280 published articles and 18 books to her credit. She has also edited 25 books. She is also known as a literary critic and has won many awards in the field such as AP government’s Gurajada Memorial Award.

She says that her parents Indira Devi and Ramakoti Sastry have encouraged her to take up literature.

KU Vice-Chancellor Prof. B Venkat Rathnam, Registrar Prof. K Sayulu, and other faculty members congratulated Katyayani on the significant achievement and for bringing fame to the university.

The award now in the form of a casket containing an engraved copper plaque, a shawl and a cheque of

Rs 1,00,000 will be presented to her at a function to be held in New Delhi on March 11, 2014, during the Festival of Letters organised by the Sahitya Akademi, stated a press release.