The newly appointed Kerala Sahitya Akademi leadership has announced a sweeping rethink of the institution’s functioning, promising greater inclusivity, a comprehensive administrative audit, and stricter, more transparent procedures for literary awards.
Akademi president Kalpetta Narayanan and secretary M.P. Surendran said the institution would open its doors to writers and cultural practitioners without discrimination and move away from routine programmes towards a more vibrant cultural ecosystem.
Addressing a Meet the Press programme organised by the Thrissur Press Club on Wednesday, Mr. Narayanan said an extensive audit of the Akademi’s administrative functioning, including the systems governing awards and other activities, appeared necessary. Detailed plans would be drawn up after examining the institution’s functioning, he said.
The Akademi would also seek to make its award selection process more impartial and rigorous. “The writer’s politics is not our concern; the writing and its value are what matter,” Mr. Narayanan said, adding that the procedures for selecting awards would be made more stringent and fair.
Mr. Surendran said existing award guidelines would be strictly followed and revised wherever necessary to make the process more transparent and free of shortcomings. The Akademi would announce its findings after examining complaints about previous awards.
On the financial crisis facing the Akademi, Mr. Surendran said of the earmarked Plan fund of ₹3.45 crore for 2026-27, the Akademi had so far received only ₹1.20 crore. Ensuring the monthly salaries of employees would be the immediate priority, he said, adding that programmes involving additional financial commitments would be taken up only after the Akademi’s basic financial requirements were secured.
The new leadership also plans to expand the distribution of Akademi publications. Its books, currently available mainly through the Akademi itself, would be made accessible through bookshops and other distribution outlets, with revised discounts and distribution arrangements. The move is expected to generate additional revenue.
Mr. Narayanan said the Akademi had no interest in holding a conventional literary festival merely as an annual ritual. Instead, it was exploring a Statewide cultural festival involving the Sahitya Akademi, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi and Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, bringing literature, theatre, music and dance together.
Mr. Surendran said the proposed Festival of Kerala would showcase the State’s cultural wealth not only within Kerala but also in cities outside the State. The first edition of the renewed festival is proposed to be held in Thrissur, followed by venues including Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram.
The leadership said cooperation among various academies and government departments, including Tourism, Forest and Public Works, would help share both responsibilities and financial burden.
Mr. Narayanan also said the Akademi would work closely with the Thrissur Press Club during its golden jubilee year, given the city’s long tradition of journalism and its contribution to Kerala’s media and cultural history.
On the long-pending Keralam song, the president said the Akademi had not yet examined the issue but expressed a clear preference for “a Keralam song sung by children.”
