Sahitya Akademi Award 2023

Event:

      Twenty-four writers, including Neelum Saran Gaur and Sanjeev, received the Sahitya Akademi Award for 2023 in New Delhi on March 12, 2024.

Works Recognized:   The awards were given for various literary works, including nine books of poetry, six novels, five short story collections, three essays, and one literary study.

Notable Awardees:

        Sanjeev was awarded for his novel “Mujhe Pehchaano,” and Neelum Saran Gaur received the award for her book “Requiem in Raga Janki.” Sadiqua Nawab Saher was recognized for “Rajdev Ki Amrai” in Urdu, and Swarnjit Savi received the award for his book of poetry “Mann Di Chip” in Punjabi.

Poetry Awardees:

         Other recipients in poetry include Vijay Verma (Dogri), Vinod Joshi (Gujarati), Manshoor Banihali (Kashmiri), Sorokkhaibam Gambhini (Manipuri), Ashutosh Parida (Odia), Gaje Singh Rajpurohit (Rajasthani), Arun Ranjan Mishra (Sanskrit), and Vinod Asudani (Sindhi).

Novel and Short Story Awardees:

         Writers such as Swapnamay Chakrabarti (Bengali), Krushnat Khot (Marathi), and Rajasekaran Devibharathi (Tamil) were awarded for their novels. For short stories, Pranavjyoti Deka (Assamese), Nandeswar Daiman (Bodo), Prakash S Parienkar (Konkani), Taraceen Baskey (Turia Chand Baskey) (Santali), and T Patanjali Sastry (Telugu) were honored.

Essay and Literary Study Awardees:

       Lakshmisha Tolpadi (Kannada), Basukinath Jha (Maithili), Judhabir Rana (Nepali), and EV Ramakrishnan (Malayalam) received awards for their essays and literary study.

Significance: The awards ceremony coincided with the 70th-anniversary celebrations of the National Academy of Letters at the Sahityotsav.

Remarks: Jnanpith winner Odia writer Pratibha Ray emphasized the importance of language and literature in preserving culture and fostering unity. Sahitya Akademi president Madhav Kaushik praised writers for their role in preserving humanity through their works.

Selection Process: The awards are selected based on unanimous selections made by the jurors or on the basis of a majority vote. They relate to books first published during the five years immediately preceding the year of the award, between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2021.

Award Details: Awardees received a casket containing an engraved copper plaque, a shawl, and an amount of ₹1 lakh as recognition for their contributions to literature.