Malayalam poet and social activist Sugathakumari has been chosen for Mathrubhumi Literary Award (Mathrubhumi Sahitya Puraskaram) for 2014.

This was announced by M.P. Veerendrakumar, managing director, and P.V. Chandran, managing editor of Mathrubhumi, here on Wednesday. The award carries a purse of Rs.2 lakh, a citation, and a statuette. A judging committee comprising poet Vishnu Narayanan Namboodiri as chairman and poet K. Satchitanandan and literary critic M. Leelavathi as members chose Ms. Sugathakumari in recognition of her contributions to Malayalam literature for the past 50 years.

Major works

Some of her prominent works arePathirappookal; Raathrimazha; Ambalamani; Krishnakavithakal; Radhayevide; Kurinjippookkal; and Thulaavarshappacha.

The 80-year-old poet was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2006 for waging a struggle against the destruction of environment in the name of development.

She is the founder editor of Thaliru, a children’s magazine published by the Kerala State Institute of Children’s Literature and former chairperson of the Kerala State Women’s Commission.

Ms. Sugathakumari is also the founder secretary of Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithi, an organisation for the protection of nature and of Abhaya, a home for destitute women. The literary award is being presented to her on the occasion of the 90 year of Mathrubhumi.

source:  http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Kozhikode – October 02nd, 2014