International Booker Prize Winner Deepa Bhasthi to Deliver P.P. Gomathi Memorial Oration in Mangaluru
NV Paulose, Chairman, Global TV +91 98441 82044
MANGALURU, June 2026: Renowned writer and International Booker Prize-winning translator Deepa Bhasthi will deliver the prestigious P.P. Gomathi Memorial Oration 2026 on June 9 at 10:30 a.m. at Town Hall, Mangaluru.
The annual event is jointly organised by the P.P. Gomathi Memorial Education Trust, Mangalore University, Dakshina Kannada District Sahithya Parishat, and the DK District Working Journalists Union. This year’s lecture is titled “Thinking as Dissent: Some Thoughts on Language and the World.”
Deepa Bhasthi, writer, cultural critic, and literary translator working between Kannada and English, has earned international acclaim for her contribution to literature and translation. She became the first Indian translator and the first translator of colour to receive the International Booker Prize, which she shared in 2025 with Kannada writer Banu Mushtaq for Heart Lamp – Selected Stories. She was also awarded the PEN English Translation Award in 2024 and is a finalist for the 2026 Gregg Barrios Book in Translation Prize.
Born in Madikeri, Bhasthi completed her postgraduate studies in journalism at Mangalore University and worked as a journalist before establishing herself as a prominent literary voice. Her translations and essays have appeared in numerous national and international publications.
The memorial oration honours the legacy of Prof. P.P. Gomathi (1930–2014), an eminent educator and former principal who dedicated her life to women’s education and social progress. Through the P.P. Gomathi Memorial Education Trust, scholarships are awarded annually to academically outstanding but economically disadvantaged female students pursuing career-oriented education.
The Trust also organises an annual public lecture featuring distinguished scholars, writers, and social thinkers. Previous speakers have included Dr. G.N. Devy, Prof. Nivedita Menon, Prof. E.V. Ramakrishnan, Dr. Sindhu Manjesh, and Dr. Meena Kandasamy.
Organisers have extended an open invitation to the public, academics, students, writers, and literature enthusiasts to attend the event and engage with contemporary discussions on language, culture, and dissent. The programme will be held at Town Hall, Mangaluru, on June 9, 2026, beginning at 10:30 a.m.
