DAMODAR MAUZO is one of Goa's best known Konkani fiction writers.

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He was born in Goa on August 1, 1944. He graduated in Commerce from R. A. Podar College of Commerce & Economics in Mumbai before taking over the family business of running a shop in Majorda. Reading and writing were his passions and he gradually won name and fame for being a writer.He is a novelist, short story writer, critic and scriptwriter. He has several published works to his credit and has won many awards.

His publications include five short story collections, namely Ganthan (1971), Zagranna (1975), Rumadful (1989), Bhurgim Mhugelim Tim (2001); three novels titled Karmelin (1981), Sood (1975), Tsunami Simon (2009). Kani Eka Khomsachi (1976) is a children's story book; Ek Ashil'lo Babulo (1977) is a novel on juveniles; Chittarangi (1993) is a collection of children's stories; and there are two biological sketches, Oshe Ghodle Shenoy Goembab (2003), Unch Haves Unch Mathem (2003) and Sapanmogi (2014). Karmelin has been published in translation in Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Bengali, English, Punjabi, Sindhi, Tamil, Oriya and several other languages, all published by the Sahitya Akademi. These Are My Children is a collection of stories translated into English by Xavier Cotta andpublished by KATHA (New Delhi).

He won the Sahitya Akademi award(1983) for his novel Karmelin; other awards include the Konkani Bhasha Mandal award (twice), Goa Kala Academy (twice), the Janaganga award, Goa State Cultural award and several more awards. He has presided over the All India Konkani Sahitya Sammelan, a literary conference in 1985, served as president of the Konkani Bhasha Mandal, Goa's premier organization of the endavouring the promotion of language, literature and culture. His works feature constantly in literary presentations and in the print and electronic media. In the year 2011 he was awarded Vishwa Konkani Kendra’s Vimla. V. Pai Sahitya Puraskar (Mangalore).

He had the distinction of being nominated for the prestigious Frank O’Connor International Award for his collection of stories in translation Teresa’s Man.

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He is a co-founder and co-curator of Goa Art and Literary Festival prestigious event held annually.He is also a founder- member of Goa Writers' Group. He has served as a member of the Executive Board and the Finance Committee(20003-2007) of Sahitya Akademi (New Delhi). He has served two terms on the final Jury of Saraswati Samman. He is also associated with Jnanpith.

Damodar Mauzo is married to Shaila and has three daughters, Rupali, Meghana and Sobita and is grandfather to six. He now lives with his wife in the village of Majorda in South Goa. He is currently associated with the Saraswati Samman, the foremost literary prize of India, instituted by K K Birla Foundation. With his ready smile and ever helpful friendly nature, he is easily Goa's most loved man of letters.



PULICATIONS IN TRANSLATIONS

Karmelin in translation into Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Bengali, English, Punjabi, Sindhi, Tamil, Oriya, Maithili and other Indian languages, all published by Sahitya Akademi. These Are My Children and Teresa’s Man are collection of stories, translated into English by Xavier Cota and published by KATHA and Rupa Publications both from New Delhi. Mirage is a collection translated by Vidya Pai and published by Under The Peepal Tree an imprint of PublishingNext, Goa. the novel Tsunami Simon also translated by Xavier Cota has been published by Ponytale Publications, New Delhi.


FORTHCOMING PUBLICATIONS

Two collections of konkani short stories, two collection of stories into English and translations of Tsunami Simon into English.

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Awards / Achievements

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Damodar Mouzo is an unlikely combination of writer, businessman, activist, organizer, and much-loved husband, father, grandfather and trusted friend. Born on the 1st of August 1944, he did his early schooling up to Primeiro Grau in Portuguese, alongside Marathi primary. Matriculating English from Margao, Goa, he graduated in Commerce from Bombay University through R. A. Poddar College. His leadership qualities and expert marksmanship propelled him to the post of NCC Under-Officer commanding a battalion. He was chosen Best Hostelite in 1965 and Best Student of the college the following year for his all-round performance.

Image 2While in college, he was instrumental in reviving the Bombay inter collegeate Konkani Drama Competition, bagging the individual best actor award and helping his college win the trophy. In Mumbai, he also discovered his talent for writing. He wrote his first story in 1963 and presented plays over All India Radio, Mumbai. During the early year of his literary career Mauzo was greatly influenced by the life and writings of Vaman Varde Valaulikar or Shennoi Goembab as the father of the Konkani Renaissance was known.

Returning from Mumbai, Mauzo was drawn into the existential Opinion Poll struggle to keep Goa from being merged into Maharashtra. Fuelled by youthful enthusiasm, he braved lathis and delivered fiery speeches. The struggle culminated in Goans decisively voting against merger.

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Awards / Achievements

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With the battle won, and his beloved Goa secured, Bhai as he is best known, settled into the grove of shop keeper and family man by day, and, writer by night. His prolific output nurtured by timely encouragement from senior writer like Jananpith Awardee Ravindra Kelekar, eminent journalist and poet Uday Bhembre and Goa's poet laureate ManoharRai SarDesai, was lapped up by Konkani newspapers and periodicals. His first collection of short stories Ganthan was out in 1971. The next, aptly titled Zagrannam (Late Nights) followed in 1975. In 1983 he won the prestigious Sahitya Akademi award for his novel Karmelin. This novel translated into Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Kannada and other Indian languages besides English, won his much critical acclaim and catapulted him onto the national literary arena. Karmelin which broke new ground as the story of an Indian woman forced by circumstances to work as a maid to an Arab family in Kuwait, unfolds the often sordid reality of life as against the perceived glitz of petro-dollars. We learn of the high price paid to earn them.

Though the eighties began well, the arduous struggle to make Konkani the official language of Goa took a toll on his literary output. His health too was indifferent. But he took major problems like retinal detachment in his stride. As Goa passed the historic official language bill making Konkani the sole official language of Goa soon attained its much desired Statehood and Konkani entered the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. The entire fight for Konkani and Statehood was spearheaded by Konkani Porjecho Awaz – Voice of the Konkani People, a mass-based organization of which Damodar mauzo was a founder member and front-ranker.

As the decade was ending, national TV viewers woke up to Konkani as a powerful literary language. Mauzo's story "Angvonn" was televised in Doordarshan's hindi serial Ek Kahani as "Manauti". The much-acclaimed story would be re-run several times over the years, before yet another Mauzo story "Khilli" was televised in the sequel series Ek Aur Kahani as 'Nakabandi'.

Awarded Senior Fellowship of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India for 2011-2012. Member of the India Habitat Centre(Delhi)’s Samanvay Festival Advisery Board 2014 Editor of Konkani Translation Project of Vachana run by Basava Samiti, Bengaluru.

  • participated in the Frankfurt International Book Fair to be held in October, 2014
  • Participated in the Singapore Literary Festival in 2013.
  • Participated in Jaipur literary Festival in 2012.
  • Participated in the World Book Fair in Delhi in 2012
  • Travelled through China representing Indian writers in a ten member delegation of Indian writers.

Forthcoming… Two collections of konkani short stories and a book of essays in English.

Bibliography

A SELECT BIBLOGRAPHY

1971

Ganthan

Collection of Short Stories

1975

Zagrannam

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1989

Rumadful

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2001

Bhurgim Mhugelim Tim

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2014

Sapanmogi

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1975

Sood

Novella

1981

Karmelin

Novel

2009

Tsunami Simon

Novella

1976

Kani Eka Khomsachi

Children's Story Book

1977

Ek Ashil'lo Babulo

Juvenile Novel

1995

Chit'tarangi

Collection of Children's Stories

2003

Oshe Ghodle Shenoy Goembab

Biographical Sketch

2003

Unch Haves Unch Mathem

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Contact

DAMODAR MAUZO one of Goa's best known Konkani fiction writers.

Damodar Mauzo
Majorda,
Near Railway Station
Margao - Goa.
Tel: (M) 9422059509
Email: info@damodarmauzo.com
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