Mangalore: Wilma Bantwal bags Kittall Yuva Puroskar - 2012

Mangalore, Feb 21: Promising young writer Wilma Lavina D'Souza, widely known as Wilma, Bantwal in Konkani literary circles, selected for Kittall Yuva Puroskar - 2012. Kittall Yuva Puroskar Carries a cash prize of Rs 10,000 and a citation.

The selection was made by the jury committee chaired by poet-thinker Titus Noronha. Melvyn Rodrigues, Sahitya Academy awardee, Kavita Trust president and director (operations) of daijiworld.com, and Guru Baliga, poet, assistant director, Konkani Language and Cultural Foundation were members on this jury committee.

Wilma, Bantwal started writing while in grade 8. Today she has more than 50 poems and 75 essays / articles to her credit. Presently she is the editor of Ballok, parish magazine of Infant Jesus Church, Bantwal. She also served in the editorial board of Amcho Yuvak, diocesan monthly magazine published by ICYM. She was actively involved in the activities of Konkani Sangh of St Aloysius College, Mangalore and served as the editor of the magazine of Konkani Sangh. She has been participating in literary meets in Goa regularly for the past three years and won the first prize in the Poetry Recitation competition organized by Kavita Trust in the year 2009. She regularly contributes essays to column Ankri on Kittall, poems to konkanipoetry.com and other magazines in print.

After completing her post graduation, MSc in Mathamatics, with first rank at St Aloysius College (autonomos) she is now teaching at Canara Engineering College, Benjanapadavu.

This Award will be presented to Wilma on Saturday March 2 at a programme at Valencia Church Hall at 7 pm. Community leader and entrepreneur Rohan Monterio, MD, Property Infratech Pvt Ltd will be the chief guest on this occasion. In the annual lecture series, poet and thinker, Titus Noronha will deliver a lecture on the topic, 'Culture and Youth'. The topic gains significance because of the escalating attacks in the name of culture in the region, especially by youth.

About Kittall

Kittall, a unique Konkani literary site is the dream of writer, critic Henry Mendonca, populary known as H M Pernal in Konkani. The site was inaugurated on February 5, 2011 by Sahitya Academy awardee Konkani poet, president, Kavita Trust and director (operations) of Daijiworld Media Private Limited, Melvyn Rodrigues. In his inaugural address Melvyn had said, “We have seen and experienced that small sparks carry tremendous energy to ignite a burning fire. We also know that the ash from the fire has the ability to spring fresh shoots in a plant or tree. I hope H M will be able to create a better society by igniting "Kittall" to its fullest energy."

Kittall is the only complete literary site in Konkani which publishes short stories, novel series, essays, poems, book reviews, interviews, special reports and news related to literary activities and events. Edwin J F D Souza, Melvyn Rodgrigues, Dr Austin D'Souza Prabhu, Chicago, Hemacharya, editor, Daijiworld Weekly, Stan Ageira, Mulky, Ron Roche Cascia, Kishoo, Barkur, Prof Stephen Quadrose, Fr Denis Castelino, Dr Na D'Souza, Sikeram Suratkal, Avina Miyar, Wilma Bantwal, Vinod Colaco are regularly contributing columns on Kittall. Edwin J F D'Souza’s sensational and controversial novel Reventle Fathor has already completed 29 episodes. This novel series is updated on 1 and 15 of every month.

Kittall has become a platform to host of young writers, thinkers and new talents. It has successfully bridged the gap between young and old writers in Konkani in past two years. Apart from this, Kittall has introduced new experiments in internet based visual media first time in Konkani and striving for more under the leadership of Kishoo, Barkur. Kittall Café, Kittall Time Out, Kittall Sandesh, Kittall Close up are some of the unique programmes produced and presented on Kittall Konkani Channel.