The Vishnupuram Ramesh Praden Memorial Awards were presented to five young Tamil authors at a function held in Coimbatore on December 21.
Organised by the Vishnupuram Literary Circle, the annual Vishnupuram Literary Award was established in 2010 to honour outstanding literary figures in Tamil. The main award carries a cash prize of ₹5 lakh along with a specially crafted sculpture.
This year’s award was originally announced for Puducherry-based writer Ramesh Praden, who passed away recently due to ill health. A versatile poet, novelist, and literary thinker, his loss is deeply felt in the Tamil literary world. Respecting his wish, the award for 2025 was dedicated in his memory and presented to five emerging writers working in fiction, poetry, folklore, and translations - Devi Lingam, Saju, Selvakumar Pechimuthu , Ashok Ramraj, and Azhagiya Manavalan. Each received ₹1 lakh and a commemorative sculpture.
Writers Madurandakam Narendra (Telugu), Jayant Kaikini (Kannada), Austin Soundar, and Akaramudhalvan addressed the gathering alongside Jeyamohan and other literary personalities. The two-day event (December 20–21) also included literary discussions, reader interactions, stage performances by Meikalam featuring two plays by Jeyamohan, and a small book exhibition.
