Hyderabad, Oct 18 (IANS) Eminent Telugu novelist, short story writer, poet critic and Jnanpith award winner Ravuri Bharadwaja died here Friday after brief illness. He was 86.

Ravuri breathed his last at Care Hospital in Banjara Hills Friday night, doctors said.

In April this year, he was selected for the prestigious Jnanpith award for the year 2012 for his contribution to Telugu literature.

Ravuri wrote 37 collections of short stories, 17 novels, six short novels for children and eight plays.

Born in Krishna district in 1927 in a poor family, he could not study beyond class 8 but earned fame through his short stories, poetry and critical reviews. He had done several odd jobs, worked in weeklies and also in All India Radio.

He received honorary doctorates, a Central Sahitya Akademi award and ultimately the Jnanpith award. He was only the third Telugu writer to be honoured with the country's highest literary award.

Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy expressed his shock over his death. The chief minister, in a statement, said Andhra Pradesh had lost a great personality of literature. He conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family.