Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy awards announced

The Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy, Mangalore, has announced its annual honorary awards for 2007 in the fields of literature, folk arts and drama.

According to a press release here today from the Academy the award winners are Gerald Pinto of Udupi for literature, Manjaiah Shivu Kumbri of Honnavar for folk arts and Francis Fernandes Cascia of Mangalore for drama.

The decision to honour these achievers has been taken in taken at the general body meeting of the academy held here on Thursday. The award winners will receive Rs. 10,000 in cash, a certificate and a memento each at a function to be held at Honnavar in Uttara Kannada district on March 9 at 5.30 p.m. President of the academy Eric Ozario will preside over the function.

Mr. Pinto (51), a resident of Kallianpur in Udupi, is the editor of "Samparka", a Kannada quarterly. He has written stories, short stories, poems and more than 340 articles in his career spanning 34 years. Mr. Cascia (63), who has written many dramas, has been involved in the field for nearly 40 years. Mr. Kumbri (55), an active folk artiste heads the Gudde Sidda Konkani Folk troupe in Honnavar added the release.