Kodagu Author Mookonda Nitin Kushalappa Wins Kendra Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar

An engineer by profession, Nitin is known for his deep interest in Coorg's local history and fiction.

Bengaluru: Kodagu-based author and engineer Mookonda Nitin Kushalappa has been awarded the prestigious Kendra Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar for his latest work ‘Dakshin: South Indian Myths and Fables Retold’ published by Puffin Books in 2023.

This is Nitin's first book for children, and the recognition has come as a pleasant surprise to the author. Speaking to The Kodagu Express, Nitin said, “Although I have authored seven other published books so far, this book is my first for children. This win was an unexpected one, and I am grateful that my present work has found recognition. I thank the Sahitya Akademi for granting me the Bal Sahitya Puraskar award. I thank my publishers Penguin Random House (Puffin), book agents The BookBakers (Suhail Mathur), relatives (especially my parents, wife, and sister), friends (especially Bollajira Aiyappanna)."

An engineer by profession, Nitin is known for his deep interest in Coorg's local history and fiction. He has published several notable works including The Early Coorgs and The Gandhi of Kodagu. His storytelling often draws from regional history, blending factual narratives with creative retelling.

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.in/Dakshin-South-Indian-Myths-Fables/dp/0143454994

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Each winner will be presented with a casket featuring an engraved copper plaque and a cash prize of ₹50,000 at a special ceremony to be held at a later date. A native of Kodagu, Nitin is the son of M.K. Poonacha (Sunny) and M.P. Damayanthi (Pushpa). He is married to Deepthi Belliappa of the Ketolira family.

Nitin pursued his education at Clarence High School, St. Joseph’s Pre-University College, CMR Institute of Technology (BE), Kuvempu University (MA), and Alliance University (EPGDM).

Nitin is also been a regular contributor to The Kodagu Express enriching our readers with insightful pieces on Kodagu’s heritage and stories.

Corrigendum

In the feature image of this article, the name has been incorrectly mentioned as ‘Mookanda’ Nitin Kushalappa. The correct name is ‘Mookonda’ Nitin Kushalappa. We regret the error and sincerely apologise for the oversight.

While the mistake has been corrected in the article text, we are unable to make changes to the feature image and the URL link due to technical limitations. We acknowledge the importance of accurate representation and thank our readers for their understanding.

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