New Delhi: Prominent Malayalam author and literary critic Dr. M Leelavathy, and seven others were selected for the prestigious Kendra Sahitya Akademi Fellowship. Renowned english author Ruskin Bond, Hindi writer Vinod Kumar Shukla, Indira Parthasarthy (Tamil), Sirshendu Mukhopadhyay (Bengali), Dr. Bhalchandra Nemade (Marathi), Dr Tejwant Singh Gill (Punjabi), and Swami Rambhadracharya (Sanskrit) were the others who bagged the honour.
The National Academy of Letters said in a statement that, the general council of Kendra Sahitya Academy which met under the chairmanship of its president Dr Chandrashekhar Kambar announced the Fellowship, its highest honour. The Fellowship is awarded to ‘literary persons of outstanding merit’ and carries a copper plaque memento.
An eminent Malayalam writer, literary critic, and educationist, Dr. Leelavathy has more than 60 published books to her credit. Her works include literary criticism, essays and translations. She is a recipient of many prestigious awards and honours including the Padma Shri and the Sahitya Akademi Award, besides the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, the Vallathol Award, and the Ezhuthachan Puraskaram