Thiruvananthapuram: Bharat Bhavan, the cultural institution of the government, announced the first ever award for overall contribution and playwriting in village drama. K J Baby, author of the play ‘Nattugaddika’, was selected for the award for overall contribution.

Earlier, the novel ‘Mavelimanram’ penned by K J Baby won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi award. His other major works are ‘Bespurkkana’ and ‘Goodbye Malabar’.

K J Baby was also known for his educational reformation activities among the tribal people through an alternative educational institution named ‘Kanavu’.