Kannada Saahithya Parishath is an Indian non-profit organisation that promotes the Kannada language and its literature. Its headquarters are in the city of Bengaluru in the state of Karnataka, India. It strives to promote Kannada language through publishing books, organising literary seminars and promoting research projects. It also organises an annual conference on Kannada literature called Kannada Sahithya Sammelana. The current president of the parishat is Dr. Mahesh joshi.
The Kannada Sahitya Sammelana is the premier gathering of writers, poets and Kannadigas. It is held with the aim of preserving and developing the Kannada language, its literature, art, culture and music. It was started in 1915 by H. V. Nanjundaiah and held at Bangalore. It used to be inaugurated by prominent writers and poets from 1915 to 1948. Since then it has been inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Karnataka. The Kannada Sahitya Parishat is responsible for holding the gathering.
Akkihebbalu Narasimha Murthy Rao was an Indian writer. He wrote in Kannada.
Arakalagudu Narasingarao Krishna Rao, popularly known as Anakru, was an Indian writer. He is one of the best-known writers in the Kannada-language and was popularly known as Kadambari Sarvabhouma. The inception of the Pragatishila ("progressive") movement in Kannada literature is credited to him. He received an honorary doctorate from the Mysore University and is also a recipient of the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award.
The Unification of Karnataka refers to the formation of the Indian state of Karnataka in 1956 when several Indian states were created by redrawing borders based on linguistic demographics. Decades earlier during British rule, the demand for a state based on Kannada demographics had been made.
Theerthapura Nanjundaiah Srikantaiah commonly known as 'Thee. Nam. Shree., was a Kannada poet, essayist, editor, translator, linguist and teacher. He was awarded the Pampa Prashasthi for his work on the history and tradition of Indian poetics spanning two millennia titled Bharathiya Kavyamimamse. T. N. Srikantaiah was instrumental in preparing and publishing the Kannada version of Constitution of India in 1952. He is credited with the use of the vernacular equivalent of Rashtrapathi for the English 'President', a usage which is still in vogue. Srikantaiah was responsible for guiding the doctoral theses of Kannada litterateurs like S. Anantanarayan and M. Chidananda Murthy. An active participant in the Kannada Dictionary Project, Srikantaiah later laid the foundations for the Post Graduate Department at Manasa Gangotri campus at University of Mysore.
Hampa Nagarajaiah, popularly known by his pen name Hampanā, is an Indian scholar in Kannada language and Jainism. He was born at Hampasandra Village located in Gowribidanur taluk, Chikkaballapura District in the Indian state of Karnataka. Hampanā is married to Kamala Hampana who also a veteran littérateur.
Anasuya Shankar, popularly known by her pen name as Triveni, was an Indian writer of modern fiction in Kannada language. Many of her novels have been made into feature films, most prominently, Belli Moda (1967) and Sharapanjara (1971) – both directed by Puttanna Kanagal and featuring actress Kalpana. Her short-stories collection Samasyeya Magu won the Devaraja Bahadur Prize in 1950. Her novel Avala Mane earned the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award in 1960.
Ganjam Venkatasubbiah, also known as G. V., was a Kannada writer, grammarian, editor, lexicographer, and critic who compiled over eight dictionaries, authored four seminal works on dictionary science in Kannada, edited over sixty books, and published several papers. Recipient of the Kannada Sahitya Akademi Award and the Pampa Award, Venkatasubbiah's contribution to the world of Kannada Lexicography is vast. His work Igo Kannada is a socio-linguistic dictionary which encompasses an eclectic mix of Kannada phrases, usages, idioms, and serves as a reference for linguists and sociologists alike.
B. M. Idinabba was a prominent Kannada poet, journalist, freedom fighter, politician and a Kannada activist from Karnataka. He was a member of Congress party and was elected as a MLA three times in the Karnataka state assembly from Ullal constituency. He was one of the activists who fought for the unification of the Kasaragod district of Kerala into the Karnataka state. He has got the credit of being the first president of the Beary Sahithya Sammelana. He has received many prestigious awards including Rajyotsava Prashasti.
Devegowda Javaregowda, known as De Ja Gou or simply Javaregowda, was an Indian Kannada writer, folklorist, researcher, scholar and academic. He was disciple of authors T.N. Srikantaiah and Kuvempu. His literary career spans over decades in which he wrote over thirty-four biographies in Kannada language and other works including children's literature. He campaigned for the promotion of Kannada language. He had received Pampa Prashasti (1998), Padma Shri (2001) and the Karnataka Ratna (2008) awards for his contributions in literature and education. He became a centenarian in 2015 and died on 30 May 2016.
Gudibande Poornima(Dr. S.P Poornima) is a Kannada poet, writer and novelist from the State of Karnataka, India. Born in Shravanabelagola, Hassan District, Karnataka, Poornima holds a master's degree in Kannada literature from Bangalore University, master's degree in Prakrit and Docotorate degree in Jainalogy from Mysore University. She was the president of the district Kannada Sahitya Parishat in 1982–3.
Nuggehalli Pankaja is an Indian writer and poet in the Kannada and English languages. She is considered one of the notable writers in the Kannada language. Her works include novels, short stories, and plays. She was conferred the Excellence in World Poetry Award by the International Academy for English Poetry. Some of her novels have been made into movies in Kannada.
Kuppur Yalappa Narayanaswamy, also known as KYN, is a popular Kannada poet, scholar, critic, and playwright. He is currently a Kannada professor in the Maharani Cluster University, Bangalore. He is the author of many popular Kannada plays including Kalavu, Anabhigna Shakuntala, Chakraratna, Huliseere, and Vinura Vema. He has also translated Kuvempu's Shudra Tapaswi into Telugu. He is credited with adapting Kuvempu's magnum opus Malegalalli madumagalu into a 9-hour play. He has also written the screenplay for the films Kalavu and Suryakaanti.
Kamala Hampana is an Indian writer in Kannada language and Jainism. She was born at Devanahalli, Bangalore, Karnataka. She worked as a scholar, a professor, and a follower of ancient Archaic works. She has undertaken serious study and research in various genres of Kannada literature and has developed some of the most serious ideas of various genres.
Haleyuru Srinivasa Krishnaswamy Iyengar was a Kannada columnist, essayist, novelist, critic and teacher of Economics and Commerce studies in Mysore. He is remembered for his character sketches and short essays on personalities and issues of national & international import, in his weekly column "Varada Vyakthi". These appeared in the Kannada magazine "Sudha" continuously for nearly two decades. His literary critique "Kannadadalli Vidambana Sahitya" won him the Kannada Sahitya Akademi Award in 1981. His perspective on elements of Vishistadvaita in the works of Kuvempu were brought forth in his book "Kuvempu Sahityadalli Vishistadvaita – Darshana". H. S. K. penned close to thousand character sketches over two decades. These were later published in four collected volumes. He received the "Rajyotsava Award" from Government of Karnataka in 1997. For his lifetime contribution to Journalism and Kannada literature, the University of Mysore conferred a doctorate degree on him in 2004.
Venkataramaiah Seetharamaiah commonly known as Vee See, was a Kannada poet, writer, essayist, critic, editor and teacher who taught Kannada literature at University of Mysore between 1928 and 1955. He is a recipient of the Karnataka Sahitya Akademi Award (1973), Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award and an Honorary Doctorate from University of Mysore in 1976. He presided over the 36th Kannada Sahitya Sammelana at Kumta in 1954.
Vijaya Dabbe was an Indian writer, feminist, scholar and critic in Kannada language. Often credited as the first feminist writer in modern Kannada language, Dabbe was one of the prominent figures in feminist movement in Karnataka.
B.S Sannaiah was an Indian writer in Kannada language. He was born in Bhoganahalli, Piriyapatna talluk, Mysore, Karnataka. He worked as a Editor, Textual critic and a follower and protector of ancient Archaic works & manuscripts. He had undertaken study and research in various manuscript works in Kannada & jain literature and made some of the major contributions in the field.
Taľaku Subbanna Venkannayya was University of Mysore's first Kannada Professor. He was also a popular Kannada writer, translator, editor and teacher who nurtured many later Kannada littérateurs like Kuvempu, D. L. Narasimhachar, T. N. Srikantaiah, K. S. Narasimhaswamy, M. V. Seetharamaiah, C. K. Venkataramaiah, K. Venkataramappa, G. Venkatasubbiah and S. V. Parameshwara Bhatta. In fact, Kuvempu begins his book Sri Ramayana Darshanam with a two-page dedication to his teacher T. S. Venkannayya. T. S. Venkannayya translated the biography of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa from Bengali into Kannada for the first time in 1919. T. S. Venkannayya along with D. V. Gundappa, V. Seetharamaiah, B. M. Srikantaiah and T. N. Srikantaiah were at the forefront of the Kannada Movement from 1920s onwards and were instrumental in the founding of Kannada Sahitya Parishat (Bangalore) and Kannada Sangha at Central College, Bangalore and Maharaja College, Mysore. T. S. Venkannayya was responsible for the organising of the 1931 Kannada Sahitya Sammelan at Mysore.
