Panchakshari Hiremath is a writer and poet, short story writer, essayist, critic, translator, orator, editor and freedom fighter who writes in Kannada, Urdu and Hindi. In 2005, he won the Sahitya Akademi Prize for Translation.
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.
Chandrashekhara Basavanneppa Kambara is a prominent Indian poet, playwright, folklorist, film director in Kannada language and the founder-vice-chancellor of Kannada University in Hampi also president of the Sahitya Akademi, country's premier literary institution, after Vinayak Krishna Gokak (1983) and U.R. Ananthamurthy (1993). He is known for effective adaptation of the North Karnataka dialect of the Kannada language in his plays, and poems, in a similar style as in the works of D.R. Bendre.
Gourish Kaikini was a teacher and Kannada litterateur. He received many awards including the Sahitya Academy award and the Rajyotsava Award given by the government of Karnataka. He also wrote in Marathi and Konkani.
Jayant Kaikini is a poet, short story writer, playwright, columnist in Kannada and a lyricist in Kannada cinema. He has so far published six anthologies of short stories, four books of poetry, three plays and a collection of essays. He is valued as one of the best writers in Kannada literature and has revolutionized the field by giving it a fresh new perspective. He has bagged many notable awards like 'Karnataka Sahitya Academy' award, Kusumagraj Award, Katha Award, DSC Prize for South Asian Literature amidst others. Kaikini is regarded as one of the most significant writers in Kannada today. Kaikini has been conferred the honorary doctorate from Tumkur University.
Mysore Venkatadasappa Seetharamiah or M. V. See was an Indian Kannada language author, editor and translator. Through a career spanning over sixty years, he published over 100 works spanning short stories, poetry, novels, and dramas. Some of his notable works included Sri Vijaya kruta Kavirajamarga, a retelling of the classical Kavirajamarga, Udayadityalankara, a work on Kannada poetics, and also other works on ancient Kannada language grammar.
The Pampa Award is a literary award in the Indian state of Karnataka. The award was established in 1987 by the government of Karnataka. It is the highest literary honor conferred by the Department of Kannada and Culture, Government of Karnataka State, and recognises works written in the Kannada language.
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.
Sumathendra Raghavendra Nadig was an Indian professor and writer in Kannada. Nadig came upon the literary scene as a prominent modern poet in the 1960s. He was a close associate of Gopalakrishna Adiga, the leader of the modernist movement.
Khaleel ur Rehman from the Indian state of Karnataka, is better known by his pen name Khaleel Mamoon is a noted Urdu poet whose poetry collection Aafaaq ki Taraf won the 2011 Sahitya Akademi Award for works in Urdu.
Bolwar Mahammad Kunhi is an Indian short story writer, novelist, playwright and scriptwriter. He writes in the Kannada language. He is the first Indian writer to introduce Muslim ethos and culture into creative Kannada prose. He is the only Indian writer conferred with Central Sahitya Academy twice for creative prose. He is the first ever Kannada writer conferred with Bala Sahitya Puraskar by Central Sahitya Academy.
Baraguru Ramachandrappa is an Indian essayist, lyricist, screenwriter, film director, socialist, writer, novelist, predominantly works in Kannada language and President of the Textbook Revision Committee, in Karnataka Text Books Society (KTBS) from May 2015. In 2008, he was given an honorary doctorate by the Kuvempu University and Rani Channamma University, Belagavi, Karnataka.
Devanoora Mahadeva is an Indian writer and intellectual who writes in Kannada language. The Government of India conferred upon him the Padma Shri award, the fourth highest civilian award.
Balaji Tangali Lalitha Naik is an Indian social activist, politician, writer, film actress who was the minister of Kannada, Culture, and Department of Women & Child Welfare of Karnataka. Naik has also served as an MLC (1986-1992) and MLA (1994-1999). She won the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award in 1991. She is also known for leading important literary, social and language-rights movements such as Bandaya movement and Gokak agitation.
Aryamba Pattabhi is an Indian novelist and writer in Kannada language. She is the younger sister of Triveni, a popular Kannada novelist and the niece of B. M. Srikantaiah, a famous Kannada poet, writer and translator.
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.
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.
Pratibha Nandakumar is an Indian poet, journalist, feminist, columnist and activist who works in Kannada and English. She is considered as one of the pioneers of modern woman's poetry in Kannada literature. For her work Kavadeyaata, Pratibha was awarded the Karnataka Sahitya Akademi Award for Poetry in 1998.
H. S. Mukthayakka is a writer in Kannada. She is one of the pioneers of modern woman's poetry in Kannada literature. She is the daughter of the poet Late. Shantarasa. Hailing from Raichur district, she was a lecturer in a women's college and retired as a principal. She resides in Raichur District, Karanataka.
