Hindi writer Vinod Kumar Shukla selected for 59th Jnanpith Award

Eminent Hindi writer Vinod Kumar Shukla was named the recipient of the 59^th Jnanpith Award, India’s highest literary honour, on Saturday. He will be the first writer from Chhattisgarh to receive the award.

The 88-year-old short story writer, poet, and essayist, considered one of the greatest contemporary writers in the language, is the 12^th Hindi writer to receive the award.

The award carries with it a cash reward of Rs 11 lakh, a bronze statue of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of learning, and a citation.

The decision was made during the meeting of the Jnanpith Selection Committee, chaired by eminent storyteller and Jnanpith awardee Pratibha Ray.

“Vinod Kumar Shukla will be the first author from the state of Chhattisgarh to be honoured with this award. This honour is being conferred upon him for his outstanding contribution to Hindi literature, creativity, and distinctive writing style,” the committee said in a statement.

Other members of the selection committee present at the meeting included Madhav Kaushik, Damodar Mauzo, Prabha Varma, Anamika, A Krishna Rao, Prafful Shiledar, Janki Prasad Sharma, and Jnanpith director Madhusudan Anand.

Known for his distinctive linguistic texture and emotional depth, Shukla received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1999 for his book “Deewar Mein Ek Khirkee Rahati Thi”.

Shukla’s other notable works include “Naukar ki Kameez” (1979), a novel that was adapted into a film by Mani Kaul, and a poetry collection “Sab Kuch Hona Bacha Rahega” (1992).

The Jnanpith Award, instituted in 1961, was first given to Malayalam poet G Sankara Kurup in 1965 for his anthology of poems “Odakkuzhal”. It is awarded only to Indian authors.