Sara Joseph, R. Rajasree, Santhosh Aechikkanam among Kozhikode Literary Award recipients

Kozhikode: As part of the 2025 City of Literature Day celebrations, the Kozhikode Literary Council has announced the recipients of its annual literary awards. Eminent writer Sara Joseph bags the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her outstanding and enduring contribution to Malayalam literature.

List of recipients by category

In the women writers’ category, R. Rajasree has been chosen for her work ‘Aathreyakam’. Santhosh Aechikkanam was selected for the Children’s Literature Award for his short story ‘Misaaru’. The Young Writer Award went to Adarsh E (Aadi) for his poetry collection ‘Pennappan’. This category was specifically set aside for a writer from Kozhikode, as part of an effort to promote emerging local voices.

In the translation segment, J. Gopalakrishnan’s ‘Tejo-Tungabhadra’ was picked for its Kannada to Malayalam rendition, while ‘The Greatest Malayalam Stories Ever Told’ by A.J. Thomas was recognised in the category of translation from Malayalam to other languages. Each winner in the five categories is set to receive a cash prize of ₹25,000, along with a memento and a citation.

Prize, jury, and eligibility criteria

The Lifetime Achievement Award includes a cash prize of ₹100,000, a citation, and a memento. Winners in all categories other than the Lifetime Achievement Award will receive a cash prize of ₹25,000 along with a citation and plaque.

The awards considered works published between January 1, 2022, and May 31, 2025. 

The selection process was overlooked by separate three-member jury panels chaired by respected literary figures, including Prof. S. Sivadas (children’s literature), Shahina K. Rafeeq (women), U.K. Kumaran (overall contributions), Dr. Radhika C. Nair (translations into Malayalam), and Prof. Nagesh (translations from Malayalam).

The awards will be formally presented at a ceremony to be held later this month as part of the City of Literature Day festivities.