Kirtinath Kurtkoti (1928-2003) belongs to the rare but powerful tradition of multilingual literary and cultural criticism in India. His oeuvre encompasses commentaries on the entire spectrum of Kannada literature, from the earliest extant writings to late-twentieth-century works. Kurtkoti’s critical writings highlight the unique sensibility of the Kannada literary tradition, placing it in the broader context of Indian and world literature. His analytical framework is essentially comparative, offering close readings of works through a broader theoretical perspective. In this multilingual comparative framework, he utilized his extensive familiarity with Kannada, Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati, Sanskrit, English and other European literatures, as well as Indian and European schools of philosophy and aesthetics.

Courtesy of Criticism brings some of his important essays on Kannada literature to non-Kannada readers. Divided into three sections—’Literary History’, ‘Literary Theory’ and ‘Literary Criticism’—the book showcases thirty-one short and long essays by Kurtkoti which are among his essential writings. The book has a twofold purpose: to introduce to the reader the significant body of Kurtkoti’s works and, through these essays, to highlight the significant strands of the Kannada literary tradition. Courtesy of Criticism demonstrates the subtle ways in which a mind, enriched by its own traditions and eclectic literacy, can transcend received structures of knowledge.