Kalaburagi: Kannada novelist Geetha Nagabhushan (78) passed away at a private hospital here last night following cardiac arrest.

Born on March 25, 1942, into a poor family at Savalagi village of Kalaburagi district, Geetha Nagabhushan had to struggle hard to pass through the patriarchal environment to get educated and serve as a lecturer, reader and professor for over thirty years.

She was the first woman writer to bag Kendra Sahitya Academy and Nadoja awards and serve as the Chairperson of Karnataka Sahitya Academy. She had presided over 76th Akhil Bharat Kannada Sahitya Sammelan, a prestigious literary fest, held at Gadag in 2010.

Geetha’s works that challenged the patriarchal approaches and gender discriminations were widely admired across sections. Her works include 50 short stories, 27 novels, 12 plays, two collections of poems and research works. Baduku (novel), Hasimamsa Mattu Haddugalu (novel), Avva Mattu Itara Kathegalu (collection of short stories), Jwalantha (collection of short stories) and Jogini (play) are among her works that were widely read and discussed.

The honours and awards she received includes Karnataka Rajotsava Award (1998), Danachintamani Attimabbe Award (2002), Nadoja award (2004), Kendra Sahitya Academy award (2004), Bhasha Parishat Award from Kolkata (2012) and an honorary doctorate from Gulbarga University among others. 

Last rites were held at Kalaburagi this afternoon.