Dr. 'Ampasayya' Naveen (born 24 December 1941) is a Telugu novelist. He is an Osmania University alumni, and his college life at OU inspired his first novel, Ampasayya. His novel Kala Rekhalu won the Sahitya Academy Award in 2004.
Biography
Born on 24 December 1941 as Dongari Mallaiah in a middle class agricultural family at Vavilala, a village in Palakurthy mandal, Warangal district of Telangana. He has taken to pen name ‘Naveen’ as began his literary journey fifty years ago. Naveen influenced the generations of Telugu readers over the last five decades with his 28 widely acclaimed novels, more than 70 short stories collected in five volumes and countless literary articles, essays on films, reviews, newspaper columns and middles. His most important contribution to the Telugu fiction is the introduction of the ‘stream of consciousness’ mode of narration which helps in probing and understanding the psyche of the characters. His novels Ampashayya (Bed of Arrows), Mullapodalu (Thorn Bushes) and Antasravanti (Inner Stream), which are popularly known as the ‘Ravi Trilogy,’ have brought the stream of consciousness technique to near perfection in Telugu fiction.
Many honours, awards and accolades came Naveen's way. His novel Antasravanti won for him the Telugu University's Best Novel Award for 1994. The Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India awarded him a Senior Fellowship during 1997-98 to write a trilogy of novels. Crowning upon all the awards came the Central Sahitya Akademi Award for his novel Kalarekhalu in 2004. Earlier in the same year Kakatiya University (Warangal, A.P.) honoured him with a Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) at its 16th Convocation. In 2000 Naveen had the honour of serving as a member of the jury appointed by the Government of Andhra Pradesh to decide the Nandi Awards for feature films. He had also served as a member of the Academic Senate of Kakatiya University for three years (2006-2009). His fame has travelled abroad as evidenced by the invitation in 2006 by the ATA (American Telugu Association). During his visit to the United States Naveen delivered lectures at various locations in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Columbia, Chicago and Detroit. He received Gopichand's National Literary Award in the year 2010 which was awarded to Mahaswetha Devi in the previous year i.e. 2009. Naveen was selected under writers and scholars in Residency Scheme started by Central Sahitya Akademy, New Delhi and was awarded fellowship during the year 2009.
Naveen's works have always enjoyed enormous popularity with both common readers and critics. A gripping and eminently readable style and deep insight into human mind and the dynamics of social relations are their strong points. His works are also remarkable for their bold treatment of contemporary issues of our society. His Cheekati Rojulu (Dark Days) graphically depicts the atrocities committed by the state on the innocent citizens of India during the infamous Emergency of 1975-77. His Women's College and Vichalitha (The Disturbed) perceptively treats the discrimination and injustice being meted out to women in India. Bondhavyalu (Relationships) depicts the altered socio-economic scenario in Telangana during twenty five years between 1970-1995.
Naveen's short stories have appeared in five collections — Life in a College, Enimido Adugu (Eighth Step), From Anuradha with Love, Nishkriti (Deliverance) and Bandhitulu (The Enslaved). Apart from winning prizes many of his stories have also been translated into Hindi, English, Tamil, Kannada, Sanskrit and Marathi. A collection of his short stories has also appeared in English translation under the title Lifescapes.
Naveen had written a monograph for Sahitya Akademy, New Delhi on the life and works of R.S. Sudarshanam, the doyen of Telugu Literary Criticism. This book was published by Sahitya Akademy and has been translated into all Indian Languages and English.
Naveen has published a large number of critical articles, some of them in English, on Telugu fiction, films and other art forms. He wrote his second trilogy, known as the Telangana Trilogy– consisting of Kalarekhalu (Contours of time), Chedirina Swapnalu (Dreams Gone Sour), and Bandhavyalu – against the backdrop of the social history of Telangana from the early 1940s to the early 1990s. This is, by common consensus, the most authentic fictional account of the life and history of Telangana, a part in the state of Andhra Pradesh.