It is a matter of regret that literary criticism is getting almost extinct in Telugu nowadays and earnest efforts should be made to revive it, Telugu writer and environmental activist T. Patanjali Sastry has said.
Receiving the Raavi Sastry memorial award was a great honour conferred upon him as Rachakonda Viswanadha Sastry was one of the greatest Telugu short-story writers, he said on Sunday.
“The writers of our generation were brought up on the wholesome and nutritious literature of Raavi Sastry in the form of his stories and learnt the nuances of craft from him,” Dr. Sastry observed. He said it should be realised that literary criticism is not something superfluous and “it is absolutely essential for growth of creative literature in any language.” Earlier, writers Jagaddhatri and Ramathirtha spoke at length about the short-stories and novels of Patanjali Sastry. “In particular, his myth-making ability, love of nature and sense of humour are evident in his sparkling, sensitive and subtle short stories,” Mr. Ramathirtha said.
Writer L.R Swami presided.