Telugu translator Katyayani Vidmahe has announced her decision to return her 2013 Kendriya Sahitya Akademi translation award in solidarity with other authors who had given back their Sahitya awards. “I am returning my award in dissent to a range of incidents like the silencing of the Tamil writer Perumal Murugan, the killing of Kannada writer and Sahitya Akademi awardee MM Kalburgi. This is against the violence of writers and for the freedom of expression,” Vidmahe said.

The Warangal-based writer had received an Akademi award for her ‘Sahityakashamlo Sagam – Streela Astitwa Sahityam -Kavitwam – Katha’, a compilation of essays about literature on gender identity published in 2010. Over the past couple of weeks, at least 33 authors have returned their awards given by the Sahitya Akademi, and five writers have stepped down from official positions of the literary body, which in turn has convened an emergency meeting on October 23 to discuss the developments. More.

See: Hindustan Times

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