Mangaluru Event Celebrates Konkani, Honors Top Writers

The *Raknno Award 2026* ceremony in Mangaluru brought together Konkani writers, readers, and church leaders to celebrate literary achievement while reinforcing the need to keep the language alive in daily life. Organised by the Konkani weekly *Raknno*, the event honoured Dr Jerry Niddodi as *Best Writer of the Year 2026* and recognised the parish magazine *Angelorcho Ange* as the *Best Parish Magazine of the Year 2026*.

Bishop Peter Paul Saldanha, who presided over the programme, called Konkani the "language closest to the heart" and urged the community not to abandon it in everyday conversation, warning that doing so risks eroding cultural identity. He encouraged *Raknno* to promote spoken Konkani among children through simple practices like using Konkani numbers and vocabulary at home.

The event also saw the release of *Mogachi Sunami*, a debut short story collection by Donald Pereira, and a special Konkani language training session led by Rev. Fr Valerian Fernandes covering grammar, gender, and numerals. Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy president Joachim Stany Alvares appealed for better documentation of Konkani writings, particularly those in Kannada script, for posterity.