Ayoni And Other Stories

Abburi Chaya Devi was an eminent Telugu woman writer. She is a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Telugu in 2005. She was also a council member of the Kendra Sahitya Akademi from 1998-2002.

Chalam, known as Gudipati Venkata Chalam, was a short story writer, novelist, playwright, essayist, poet and translator whose works were greatly influenced by Veeresalingam and Freud. He fought against various forms of social oppression and is most remembered for his advocacy of freedom for women—both on the physical and mental levels. His writings focused on the education of women and children. Amongst his works, the novels Maidanam Aruna and Brahmaneekam are very well-known.

Gurazada Apparao was an eminent Telugu poet, playwright, dramatist and writer. Rao's play Kanyasulkam is considered as the greatest play in Telugu language.

Indraganti Janaki Bala has written novels, short stories and poetry. After taking voluntary retirement from a state government organization, she now works as a consultant to Asmita Resource Centre for Women, Hyderabad. She is also a radio artist. Some of her best known works are the short story collections Prayojanam, Atma Drishti and Andaram Prekshakulame and the novels, Nijanikee Abaddhanikee Madhya and Vennela Matti. She has published articles on film lyrics and a feature article "Telusukonave Yuvati," on the emancipation of women.

Kanuparti Varalakshmamma, a freedom fighter and a socila worker, fought for the promotion of women's education. Her writings were focused on women's issues. Sarada Lekhalu, a series of writings in the form of letters concerning women's problems, is well-known among her works. She was the editor of the journal Grihalakshmi. She had been honoured with the Andhra Pradesh Sahitya Akademi Award.

Kavana Sarma is the pen-name of Kandula Varaha Narasimha Sarma, a retired professor of civil engineering at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He has, to his credit, about eighty stories and six novels, apart from plays and articles—including technical papers in national and international journals. He received many awards including the Potti Sriramulu Telugu University Award for his satire and humour.

Kethu Vishwanatha Reddy belongs to an agricultural family, holds a doctorate on toponomy and has taught in colleges and universities. Among the awards he has received are the Sahitya Akademi Award and Potti Sriramulu Telugu University Award.

Kodagavanti Kutumbarao worked as an editor of different magazines, including Chandamama. Apart from short stories, novels and plays, he has aithored autobiographical essays. He also wrote on education, particularly with a view to popularize science. He invented a new form in Telugu called Galpika (sketch). He brought into his writings the much neglected aspect of economic freedom of women. Karuyam, Chaduvu, Yendamavulu and Savitadevi Diareelu are some of his famous works.

Kuppili Padma is a writer and journalist in the Telugu language. Her writings focus on women's issues and matters of general importance.

P Satyavathi is an author in the Kannada language. She is a postgraduate in English and served for several years as a lecturer before her retirement.

Sastry was a Telugu writer who attempted to voice the concerns of the marginalized and the underprivileged in his several novels and more than 60 short stories. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award in the 1960s, which he returned in 1975 on account of being incarcerated during the Emergency.

Ranganayakamma is a leading Telugu feminist-Marxist writer and critic. She won the Andhra Pradesh Government Sahitya Akademi Award for her novel Balipeetam in 1955.

Sivaraju Subbulakshmi is among the earliest Telugu women writers. She has to her credit several short story collections and novels. She has also written prose poems which were published in some magazines.

Sripada Subrahmanya Sastry, born in a family of Sanskrit scholars, chose to write in Telugu against his father's wishes. Although his short stories were more popular, he had also written plays, novellas and essays. He was the founding editor of the fortnightly Prabuddhandhra. His writings focussed on the social problems of his day. Though influenced by Kandukuri Veeresalingam, he did not desist from criticizing the great social reformer for his overzealous role in widow remarriage.

Vivina Murthy has to her credit novels and short stories, including the novel Vyapara Bandhalu, the short story "Maro Rukkulu" and the experimental piece "Kathaprahelika." Although he has written in different genres, the short story remains his favourite.

Volga is the pen-name of P Lalitha Kumari, one of the leading feminist writers in Telugu, having written novels, short stories, poems and articles, and an activist. The Kendra Sahitya Akademi chose her to represent India in a Writers' Meet in China. Among her well-known works are Sahaja, Sweccha, Akaasamlo Sagam, Manavi, Rajakeeya Kathalu and Prayogam: Rajakeeya Kathalu 2.