Sahitya Akademi’s highest honour for Gurdial Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 17

The Sahitya Akademi has announced fellowship for Jaitu-based Punjabi writer Gurdial Singh. The fellowship is the highest honour of the Akademi.

The Akademi announced that besides Gurdial Singh, a fellowship had been announced for Sri Nirendranath Chakravarty.

The General Council of Sahitya Akademi, which met under the chairmanship of Dr Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari, president of the Akademi, announced its highest honour to them.

The fellowship carries a copper plaque and a shawl, which is presented at a special function. As per the constitution of the Akademi, literary persons of outstanding merits are selected as fellows, provided that the number of such fellows shall at no point of time exceed 21.

Gurdial Singh is an eminent Punjabi writer and novelist. He started his literary career in 1957 with a short story “Bhaganwale” which was published in “Panj Daya”. He rose to popularity with the publication of his novel “Marhi Da Deeva” in 1964 and later in 1989 a film based on the novel also came out.

Award winning Punjabi film “Anne Ghore Da Daan” (alms of the blind horse) was also based on Gurdial Singh’s Punjabi novel with the same title. The novel was written in 1976.