Media Release
Mangalore, Aug 13: Stany D'Souza, popularly known as Stany Bela, noted for writing in different literary forms such as short stories, poetry, essays, plays, translations, and political analysis, has been chosen for the Leo Rodrigues Family Kittall Youth Literary Award for the year 2014.
NRI entrepreneur Leo Rodrigues has instituted this award for youth writers with potential. The award consists of Rs 10,000 as prize money and citation.
The award will be conferred on August 23 in a special programme. NRI entrepreneur and Konkani supporter Leo Rodrigues will preside over the function and hand over the award. Editor-in-chief and MD of daijiworld.com Walter Nandalike will be the chief guest.
Renowned Konkani and Kannada scholar, Fr Prashanth Madtha will deliver annual lecture on the topic 'Society and We'. There will be discussion on the same after the talk.
About Stany Bela
Stany Bela has written in Malayalam, Konkani, Kannada and Tulu. He has written fifteen short stories in Kannada and Konkani and has translated three stories from Malayalam to Konkani. He has also written 45 poems, and more than 50 articles besides criticism on drama and poetry. His writings have been published Konkani periodicals - Raknno, Belacho Divo, Kutaam, Mahima, AmchoYuvak and Arso and other Kannada magazines, besides Kavitaa.com, uzwaad.com and kittall.com. He has written two musical plays one on the life of Mother Teresa and the other on awareness about the effects of alcohol. He has directed a drama based on Biblical story 'Prodigal Son'. He wrote 9 hymns for 'Daivik Sandesh' produced by Aqua Beats and 3 hymns for 'Devacho Mog', produced by Stephen Crasta.
He has participated in various poetry sessions in Kerala, Karnataka and in the Gulf, besides winning prizes in Raknno literary competition. He is an active member of Daiji Dubai, Konkani Writers' Forum, UAE and is the president of EKKU, an association of parishes from Kasaragod deanery in the UAE.
Born in 1983, he graduated from Kannur University. He is currently working in Jebel Ali in Dubai. He is married to Veena and the couple has a son named Sheldon.
The award selection was done by Kavita Trust president Melvyn Rodrigues, well known critic, Nanu Marol and Kittall advisory board member, Titus Noronha. Considering his contribution to Konkani literature, Stany D'Souza was selected by the jury for this Youth Literary Award.
About Kittall.com
Kittall.com was launched on February 5, 2011 by poet Melvyn Rodrigues. Kittall.com carries short stories, poems, essays, novel series, columns by renowned writers, interview with writers and artists, videos, review on new books, music and art. It also publishes special reports of Konkani events and news related to Konkani literature, art and music. Today it has a huge collection of over 50,000 pages of quality literature in Konkani. Every year Kittall.com recognizes and honours a young writer with the Youth Award during its annual programme. Great Konkani supporter and NRI entrepuner Leo Rodrigues instituted this award. Br Jo C Siddakatte and Wilma Bantwal have been honoured with this award in the previous years.
People from different parts of the world visit Kittall.com regularly for a refreshing read. Kittall.com is a free site, a place to exchange views and a platform for a healthy debate. The print edition Arso has helped in reaching the places where website is not available. Both web version and print edition have brought in healthy style of Konkani writing and has become a stage for healthy debate.
Henry Mendonca (H M Pernal) is the editor and publisher of Kittall.com and Arso. Himself a creative writer and critic for past 30 years, H M has published three books of poetry viz Chalyank Chatrai, Kaydyacho Kavita and Bamunachem Chedum. He has also published a collection of short stories Devaak Sodullu Pado. His columns Jinye Roopakam, Saadhi Gozal, Padrupnem, Aschem Asa Toshem and H M Column were very popular Raknno, Kutam, Dirvem, Kannik and Mithr.