Tiruchi-based retiree Kannaiyan Daksnamurthy, 62, is still living down the news of winning the Sahitya Akademi Award for Translation this week, for Karungunram, his Tamil version of The Black Hill, a gripping story of tribal communities interwoven with the turbulent journey of a French Jesuit priest in Northeast India, written in English by Arunachal Pradesh-based author Mamang Dai.
“I began my career in 1987 as a junior-grade officer in the Indian Information Service of the Press Information Bureau. My earliest duties were related to translating documents for local media outlets. When I served at All India Radio (AIR) from 1991 to 2022, I started translating non-fiction works for the National Book Trust (NBT) in 1995. Last year, I won the Tamil Nadu State Government Award for Translation. The Sahitya Akademi’s recognition this year is a big honour for me,” Mr. Daksnamurthy told The Hindu on Wednesday, March 13, 2023.
Mr. Daksnamurthy was also congratulated by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin for his achievement.
