Nagaraja Banakar from Kottur of Bellary district is a young writer. He was born on 1st June 1984 to Banakar Thippe swamy and smt Sowbhagya. He did his M.A. in Economics and B.Ed. His hobbies are writing, reading books and playing chess. His stories and poems are published in state news papers. He has published his collection of poems ‘Kanasu Karaguva Samaya’ this anthology of poems got financial support from Karnataka Government’s ‘Kannada Pustaka Pradikara’ Bangalore in 2008. He has participated in ‘Gadi Naadu Utasva’ in Moka . He has participated in Poets Meet in 2007 at the 14th ‘Bellary Sahitya Sammelana’ and ‘Bellary poets meet’ in 2010.

In 2010 he has participated in Mysore Dasara 400th annual program. He has bagged first prize in poets competition by ‘Naveena Chadra’ publications and ‘Best Chutuku Poet’ award in 2007 by Siri Gannadam Vedike and he has got first prize in ‘Ugadi poets meet’ in Chitradurga for his poem organized by Rotary Club.