Mangalore: Dr TMA Pai Award for Melvyn Rodrigues, Gerry D'Mello Gets Appreciation

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Nov 19: Well-known Konkani poet, Melvyn Rodrigues, has won the prestigious Dr T M A Pai Foundation’s ‘Best Konkani Book’ award for the year 2009, for his collection of poems, titled `Prikriticho Paas'.  The book was published both in Kannada and Devnagari scripts.

Melvyn is the director-operations of Daijiworld Media Pvt Ltd and the president of Kavita Trust.

The award carries Rs 25,000 in cash and a citation.

Melvyn Rodrigues, Gerry D'Mello, Ramesh Lad

Gerry D'Mello, Bendore, has won the appreciation award, along with Ramesh G Lad of Goa. The appreciation award carries Rs 5000 in cash and a citation.

While Gerry D'Mello has won the award for his book, `Do Re Me Fa - Part 1'- an introduction to Konkani's musicians, singers and bards, Ramesh G Lad has won it for his translation of Dr Kasturi Mohan Pai's Kannada novel, `Dhruva Taare', into Konkani in Devnagari script.

The award will be conferred at a function to be held in Manipal at a later date.

`Prikriticho Paas' is the fourth anthology of poems by Melvyn, his earlier such works being `Mogapello' (1989), `Fintam' (1996), and `Vaatt' (2004).  He has published 11 books of his own, and another 13 books of others through his Kavita Publications.

Melvyn, who is the founder member of Daiji Dubai, attends state as well as national level poetry meets regularly, besides conducting Konkani poetry sessions in the villages of coastal Karnataka almost every month through his 'Kavita Trust'.

Gerry D'Mello's `Do Re Me Fa'  was initially serialised through daijiworld.com in English, and later in `Raknno' Konkani weekly. The second part of the same book is expected to be released soon.  Gerry, who was actively involved with pro-Konkani activities in Oman, is now settled in Canada.

Ramesh Lad is a resident of Margao, Goa. His translation of Masti Venkatesh Ayyangar's Kannada short stories into Konkani had won for him Sahitya Akademi award in the year 2005.  He has published a collection of poems, titled `Kavan Kantt' and at present, has been working on the translation of Veerappa Moily's book, `Tembare'.