Beyond Fairy Tales: Sivakumar Champions Rational Literature For Kids

ANGISETTY Sivakumar, a distinguished Telugu poet in the realm of children's literature, has devoted over five decades to enriching young minds with imagination, values, and history through storytelling.

- D SURENDRA KUMAR @Nellore

With more than 400 published stories and numerous accolades to his name, he remains a guiding light in the literary world.

Born on February 28, 1954 in Rapur village, Nellore district, Sivakumar was inspired early by the power of storytelling. The son of Anjanidevi and Chiranjeevi, he pursued higher education with a strong literary inclination, completing an MA, MEd, and earning a PhD in 1984 from Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati.

His doctoral thesis focused exclusively on children's literature—a rare and pioneering effort at the time.

His first published story, Kaburla Devatha, appeared in Balanandam in 1970. He gained wide recognition in Chandamama magazine, where his story Yatharaja Thathapraja was published in 1973. Since then, more than 100 of his stories have featured in the iconic magazine.