Vakati Panduranga Rao was a master storyteller and journalist whose words made readers stop, smile and think.
As editor of the Telugu weekly Andhra Prabha, his famous column ‘Mitra Vakyam’ was loved across the state. He wrote
hundreds of stories in Telugu, many translated into other Indian languages.

Vakati also translated books from English and Tamil for the Sahitya Akademi and National Book Trust. After years in
government service, he became editor of News Time. He was also the nominating editor for Telugu for Katha Prize Stories,
published by Katha, featuring award-winning stories from over fifteen Indian languages. Vakati believed stories could travel
anywhere—and his still do, lighting up hearts long after he’s gone.