Malathi Nidadavolu, has been writing fiction since early fifties.
She hails from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. She moved to Madison,
Wisconsin, in 1973. Her mother Nidadavolu Seshamma and father Nidadavolu
Jagannadha Rao are the most influential in defining her values, she says..
Her academic qualifications include Master’s degrees in English Language and
Literature, and Library Science.
She is not a prolific writer nevertheless carries a recognizable name among Telugu
writers and readers in Andhra Pradesh. Her stories, chiruchakram (Small Wheel)
and thrushna (Yearning to read) won prizes.
Malathi's fiction was topic for M. Phil. degree (Andhra University, 2003). She
was honored at Andhra Women Writers conference in 1969 and 1970, and at
2004 at ATA Conference, Chicago.
After moving to Madison, Malathi started writing in English as well. Some of her
translations have been published in reputable journals such as The Toronto Asian
Review, Journal of South Asia Literature, Wisconsin Review, and online
magazines. Some of her stories are included in anthologies. A few of her stories
are reprinted in several magazines and anthologies.
Publications:
nijaanikee feminijaanikee madhya, 1953-2003, an anthology of Malathi's
original stories in Telugu. Vizianagaram, A.P.: BSR Foundation, 2005..
Short Stories from Andhra Pradesh: A Collection of short stories from
Andhra Pradesh. Translated by Nidadavolu Malathi. Mumbai: Jaico Publishing
House, 2006.
From My Front Porch: An Anthology of Telugu stories in English, translated
by Malathi Nidadavolu. Delhi: Central Sahitya Akademi, 2009.
Quiet and Quaint: Telugu Women's Writing, 1950-1975. A critical study of the
social and economic conditions which led to their phenomenal success during the
fifties and sixties. Hyderabad: Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University, 2009.
All I Wanted was to Read and other stories. 2008 (Available on CreateSpace.
com e-store, and Amazon.com.)
Telugu Women Writers, 1950-1975. A critical study (Available on Amazon.com.
For further details on her publications, click here.
In Press:
Chataka pakshulu (Telugu novel) (Publisher: EMESCO Books, Vijayawada.)
Kathala attayya garu. Anthology of original stories in Telugu by Malathi
Ready for publication:
From My Front Porch, Volumes 2 and 3.
The website, www.thulika.net , started in June 2001, is the only website
exclusively devoted to bring Telugu fiction in English to non-Telugu speaking
audience. The site became a valuable source for the non-Telugu speaking
audience.
She also has two blogs, Telugu Thulikaand English Thulika where she publishes
her own writings in Telugu and English respectively.
Malathi has one daughter, Sarayu Rao, who has master's in Fine Arts from
American Conservatory Theater, San Francisco, and is pursuing acting career in
Hollywood.