Guntur: Renowned Telugu writer and National President of the Progressive Writers’ Association (ARASAM), Penugonda Lakshminarayana, has been awarded the prestigious Central Sahitya Akademi Award for his essay collection Deepika Abhyudaya. The award ceremony is scheduled to take place on March 8, 2025.
The Sahitya Akademi Executive Council announced the winners on Wednesday, selecting 21 writers across various languages, including Hindi writer Gagan Gill and English writer Easterin Kire. Each awardee will receive ₹1 lakh and a certificate of appreciation.
Born in Chervukommupalem, Palnadu district, Lakshminarayana is a practicing lawyer in Guntur and began his literary journey in 1972 with the poem Samidha. His notable works include Many (2004), Vidita (2014), and Deepika (2021), which literary critics regard as a guiding light for researchers.
Over his career, Lakshminarayana has received numerous accolades, including the Telugu Language Award (2003), Potti Sriramulu Telugu University Literary Award, and the Visalandhra Publishing House Golden Jubilee Award. In 2023, he became the first Telugu literary figure elected as ARASAM’s National President.
Visalandhra Publishing House Manager T. Manohar Naidu and Professor SV Satyanarayana, former Vice-Chancellor of Telugu University, congratulated Lakshminarayana, calling the award a matter of pride for Telugu literature.
