T. R.Subba Rao

Born: 21 April 1920

Died: 10 April 1984

He was a novelist and a scholar in Kannada language.
He is considered as a harbinger of the Navya movement of Kannada literature.
He is well known for his novels like Durgashtamana, which won him the Sahitya Akademi award posthumously in 1985.
In 1942, he went to Bangalore and joined as a sub-editor for the Kannada newspaper, VishwaKarnataka, earning a paltry sum of Rs. 25 as salary per month.
During this period, he married Ambuja.
He later worked for the Prajamatha, Vahini and Navodaya newspapers.
His career in journalism also included a stint with rajavani, Mysuru, Kaladoota and Vicharavani newspapers.
He has also written many historical novels, the most famous being Durgaastamana (fall of the Durga fort), which won him the Sahitya Akademi award in 1985.
This was the last novel that he wrote and it talks of the fall of Chitradurga Palaiyakkarars under the hands of Hyder Ali.
His another historical novel based on Chitradurga’s history is Kambaniya Kuyilu and its equels Tirugubana and Raktaratri.
He also wrote a novel called Shilpashree which is based on Chavundaraya, the person who commissioned the statue of Bahubali at Shravanabelagola.