Shantinath Desai (ಶಾಂತಿನಾಥ ದೇಸಾಯಿ, 1929–1998) was one of the leading modern authors of the Navya (modernist) movement in Kannada Literature. In most of his novels, short stories, and essays, Desai explores the challenges of a changing society and its drift from traditional values. His first novel, ''Mukti'' (1961), narrates the protagonist's quest for an independent identity, liberation from the influence of a friend and his infatuation with the friend's sister. The second novel, ''Vikshepa'' (1971), tells the story of a village youth from northern Karnataka, who attempts to flee from his traditional environment by studying English in Bombay and later relocating to England. He was one of the best known writers in the genre of short stories in

Kannada literature Kannada literature is the Text corpus, corpus of written forms of the Kannada language, a member of the Dravidian language, Dravidian Language family, family spoken mainly in the Indian state of Karnataka and written in the Kannada script. A ...

, which includes other prominent writers like U. R. Anantha Murthy, Yashwant Chittal, P. Lankesh, Ramachandra Sharma, Rajalakshmi Rao, and K. Sadashiva. His novel ''Om Namo'' (Obeisance) won the

Sahitya Akademi Award The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...

. Desai's important works include ''Mukti'' (Liberation) and ''Beeja'' (The Seed). Shantinath Desai was also a professor of English at Shivaji University in

Kolhapur Kolhapur () is a city on the banks of the Panchganga River in the southern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarter of the Kolhapur district. In, around 2 C.E. Kolapur's name was 'Kuntal'. Kolhapur is kn ...

, and later became the first vice chancellor of the then newly founded

Kuvempu University Kuvempu University is a public state university in Shankaraghattta, Bhadravathi taluk, Shivamogga, Karnataka, India. It was established in 1987 by the act of the Karnataka state legislature through amendment No. 28/1976 dated 29 January 1989 ...

Shimoga Shimoga, officially known as Shivamogga, is a city and the district headquarters of Shimoga district in the central part of the state of Karnataka, India. The city lies on the banks of the Tunga River. Being the gateway for the hilly region of ...

. He has written seven novels and eight short story collections of which Rakshasa (1977) received the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award. His novels and stories have been frequently translated into various regional languages. He also published a book of critical works in English. Shantinath Desai is remembered for his works such as Mukti, Om Namo, Srishti and Beeja (Novels) and short stories like Kshitija, Naanan Tirthayatre, Ganda Satta Mele, Manjugadde, Dande, Parivartane, Kurmavatara, Rakshasa, Nadiya Neeru, Hero, Bharamya Hogi Nikhilanagiddu, Digbhrame and other works. His readers and admirers feel that he deserved more honours and recognition than he actually received. He got Sahitya Akademi Award posthumously for his novel Om Namo in 2000. He is considered as one of the important writers in modern Kannada literature.

Collection of Stories

* Manjugadde/ಮಂಜುಗಡ್ಡೆ - 1959 * Kshithija/ಕ್ಷಿತಿಜ - 1966 * Dande/ದಂಡೆ - 1971 * Rakshasa/ರಾಕ್ಷಸ - 1977 * Parivarthane/ಪರಿವರ್ತನೆ - 1982 * Aayda Kathegalu/ಆಯ್ದ ಕಥೆಗಳು - 1987 (Text Edition) * Koormavathara/ಕೂರ್ಮಾವತಾರ - 1988 * Aayda Kathegalu/ಆಯ್ದ ಕಥೆಗಳು - 2007 * Samagra Kathegalu/ಸಮಗ್ರ ಕಥೆಗಳು - 2001 (An Anthology of Complete Short Stories)

Novels

* Mukti/ಮುಕ್ತಿ - 1961 (Translated in all the 14 Indian Languages by National Book Trust) * Vikshepa/ವಿಕ್ಷೇಪ - 1973 * Srushti/ಸೃಷ್ಟಿ - 1979 * Sambandha/ಸಂಬಂಧ - 1982 * Beeja/ಬೀಜ - 1983 * Antarala/ಅಂತರಾಳ - 1993 * Om Namo/ಓಂ ನಮೋ - 1999 (Translated in all the 14 Indian Languages by Sahitya Akademi)

Poetry

* Shantinath Desai Avara Kavithegalu/ಶಾಂತಿನಾಥ ದೇಸಾಯಿ ಅವರ ಕವಿತೆಗಳು - 2016

Criticism

* Sahitya Mattu Bhaashe/ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಮತ್ತು ಭಾಷೆ - 1980 * Kannada Kadambari Nadedu Banda Reethi/ಕನ್ನಡ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ನಡೆದು ಬಂದ ರೀತಿ - 1989 * Navya Sahitya Darshana/ನವ್ಯ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ದರ್ಶನ - 1989 * M. N. Roy/ಎಂ. ಎನ್. ರಾಯ್ - 1994

Translation

* Mee/ಮೀ * Rathachakra/ರಥಚಕ್ರ * Premchand/ಪ್ರೇಮಚಂದ

English Works

* Experimentation with Language in Indian Writing in English (Fiction) * Babhani Bhattacharya * Santha Ramrao * Indian Poetry Today (Kannada) * Contemporary Indian Short Stories (Editor) *

Avasthe Avasthe (ಅವಸ್ಥೆ) is a 1987 Kannada political drama film directed and co-produced by Krishna Masadi and is based on the novel written by the acclaimed writer U. R. Ananthamurthy. The film starred Anant Nag in the lead role along with ...

(

U. R. Ananthamurthy Udupi Rajagopalacharya Ananthamurthy (21 December 1932 – 22 August 2014) was an Indian contemporary writer and critic in the Kannada language. He was born in Thirtahalli Taluk and is considered one of the pioneers of the Navya movement. In 199 ...

) * Here Revolution Comes (

P. Lankesh Palya Lankesh (8 March 1935 – 25 January 2000) was an Indian poet, fiction writer, playwright, translator, screenplay writer and journalist who wrote in the Kannada language. He was also an award-winning film director. Early life and career ...

)

About Him and His literature

* Shantinath Desai (Biography)/ಶಾಂತಿನಾಥ ದೇಸಾಯಿ - G. S. Amur/ಜಿ. ಎಸ್. ಆಮೂರ * Shantinath Desai (Biography)/ಶಾಂತಿನಾಥ ದೇಸಾಯಿ - Preeti Shubhachandra/ಪ್ರೀತಿ ಶುಭಚಂದ್ರ * Shantinath Desai Avara Sahitya/ಶಾಂತಿನಾಥ ದೇಸಾಯಿ ಅವರ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ - Giraddi Govindraj (Ed.)/ಗಿರಡ್ಡಿ ಗೋವಿಂದರಾಜ * Shantinath Desai Sahitya Vaachike/ಶಾಂತಿನಾಥ ದೇಸಾಯಿ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ವಾಚಿಕೆ - Ramachandra Deva (Ed.)/ರಾಮಚಂದ್ರ ದೇವ (ಸಂ.)

Awards

* Karnataka Sahitya Akademi Award for his short story collection Rakshasa/ರಾಕ್ಷಸ (1978) *

for Om Namo/ಓಂ ಣಮೋ (2000) Sahitya Akademi winners * The Ideal Teacher Award by the Government of Maharashtra * Rajyotsava Award by Government of Karnataka * Karnataka Sahitya Akademi Honorary Award for Lifetime Achievement (1984) * Sudha Magazine Award for his novel Sambandha/ಸಂಬಂಧ (1982)

Teleserial

* Om Namo/ಓಂ ಣಮೋ (DD Chandana) Directed by Girish Karnad and K. M. Chaitanya * Digbhrame/ದಿಗ್ಭ್ರಮೆ (DD Chandana)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Desai, Shantinath Kannada-language writers Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Kannada 1929 births 1998 deaths Writers from Karnataka Shivaji University People from Uttara Kannada 20th-century Indian short story writers 20th-century Indian novelists