Tamil writer Kannaiyan Daksnamurthy wins a Sahitya Akademi Award for Translation for translating Mamang Dai’s The Black Hill. The award was announced on Monday, March 12. The novel was originally published in English in 2014 and was translated into Tamil under the title Karungunram by the Tamil writer in 2016. The Black Hill also won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2017, one year after it was published. 

Kannaiyan Daksnamurthy is well-known for his translations and has translated several titles on the revolt of 1857, short stories from Sri Lanka, a biography of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, a biography of Hindu spiritual leader Vivekananda, to name a few. 

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote in praise of Kannaiyan Daksnaamurthy for winning the Award. He said, “Congratulating Mr Kannaiyan Daksnamurthy, who won a Sahitya Akademi Award for Best Tamil Translator for translating The Black Hill, a novel centering a historical event set in the northeast.”

Set during colonial rule, The Black Hill follows the life of a couple who come from rival tribes and elope to be together. The narrative of the novel is woven around a real-life incident of a French Jesuit priest, Father Nicolas Krick disappearing in the 1950s and someone being executed in connection with it. 

The Sahitya Akademi Award has been presented annually since 1954 to writers in 24 languages including English. Presented by the Union government, it is considered to be one of the highest awards for literature. The Award is also presented to the best translated book in 24 languages. The award comprises a plaque and a cash price of Rs 1,00,000.