R. M. Umamaheswara Rao

R. M. Umamaheswara Rao is a distinguished Telugu journalist, writer, and editor. He earned a PhD from Sri Venkateswara University on “Mother in Telugu Short Stories”. Rao began his journalism career reporting for Lawyer Weekly and went on to hold key editorial roles at Eenadu and Andhra Jyothi, including Sunday supplement editor, edition in-charge, news editor, and currently assistant editor. He also served as output editor for HNTV and oversees coverage for Rayalaseema and Nellore districts.
His reportage spans grassroots social movements, Naxalite regions, rural distress, and the Telugu diaspora across South and Southeast Asia. An accomplished writer, his short stories—translated into Kannada, English, and Tamil—appear in multiple anthologies. He has authored essay collections like Katha Samayam and Telugu Jadalu and conducted interviews with leading literary figures. Rao received the first Best Rural Telugu Journalist Award in 2007, instituted by journalist Palagummi Sainath, and later accolades from the Andhra Pradesh government and other literary bodies.