This book offers a critical history of Kannada literature, tracing its development from ancient texts to contemporary writing. It examines how literary works respond to their social, cultural and historical contexts, and how Kannada evolved as a major literary language over time.
Moving across historical phases – from the earliest extant works and the radical interventions of the Vachanakaras to the most recent writings in Kannada – the book maps the key transitions that shaped the Kannada renaissance, as well as modern and postmodern currents. Dedicated chapters on drama and theatre, women’s writing, literary criticism, folk literature and performance, and popular literature highlight the rich diversity of literary expressions in Kannada.
The author
Rajendra Chenni is a distinguished bilingual critic, writer and academic. Formerly Professor of English at Kuvempu University, he is currently the Director of the Manasa Centre for Cultural Studies, Shivamogga. He has received several honours, including the Karnataka Sahitya Akademi Lifetime Achievement Award, the G. S. Shivarudrappa Award, and the Kannada Rajyotsava Award for 2025.
Series editors
E. V. Ramakrishnan is a well-known critic in Malayalam and English, besides being an Indian English poet and translator. He is a former Professor and Dean as well as Professor Emeritus of Central University of Gujarat.
M. Asaduddin is an author, critic and translator. He has been a Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence at Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA, and a Charles Wallace Trust Fellow at the British Centre for Literary Translation at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. He was formerly Professor of English and Dean at Jamia Millia Islamia.
Series Editors’ Preface Introduction Prolegomena 1. Existing Literary Histories and Their Problems 2. The Kannada Language 3. Ancient Kannada Literature 4. The Vachanakaras 5. Medieval Literature 6. Towards Modernity 7. Literary Modernism: The Navya Phase 8. Drama and Theatre 9. Women’s Writing 10. Post-Navya Kannada Literature 11. Literary Criticism 12. Popular Kannada Literature 13. Folk Literature and Performance Bibliography Index