3 litterateurs selected for Dhahan Sahitya Award

Jalandhar, October 1

Finally, the names of three litterateurs have been selected for the internationally renowned Dhahan Sahitya Award worth 45,000 Canadian dollars. The acclaimed award has been dedicated to the promotion and dissemination of the Punjabi literature across the world for the past 10 years.

Barjinder Singh Dhahan, founder of the Dhahan Sahitya Puraskar, announced that there were three winning entries in the final list of books selected for the award for the year 2023. These authors are — Deepti Babuta’s (Mohali, Punjab, India) story “Sangreh Bhukh Eun Saah Laindi Hai”, author Jameel Ahmed Pal’s (Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan) story collection “Mendal Da Kanoon” and author Baljit’s (Mohali, Punjab) collection “Uchiyan Awaazan”.

One of the authors of the books will be awarded a cash prize of 25,000 Canadian dollars and the two other books will each be awarded 10,000 Canadian dollars at an award ceremony on November 16 at the Northview Golf and Country Club, Surrey, Canada.

Established in 2013, the Dhahan Sahitya Award is the largest international literary award for fiction in the Punjabi language. Under the award, the best book of fiction published in Gurmukhi or Shahmukhi script is given 25,000 dollars and two books as well as 10,000 dollars each are presented to the authors with respect.

Barjinder Singh Dhahan said the winners of the 2023 Dhahan Literary Awards are acclaimed and influential storytellers/writers and authors of the Punjabi literary world.

He said the meaning of their stories were captivating and these books lend a unique message to the Punjabi literature.

Dhahan said the purpose of the Dhahan Sahitya Puraskar, which combines the rich heritage of the Punjabi language, was to promote the Punjabi literature beyond the confines of borders, to connect the Punjabi community around the world and to spread the Punjabi mother tongue and Punjabi literature.

Notbaly, the Dhahan Award has been playing a pivotal role in giving critical acclaim and fame to authors, which also proves a means to reach a multi-lingual readership internationally.

The Dhahan Literary Award was established in Vancouver, British Columbia, where Punjabi people, Punjabi language and culture have a rich history. Punjabi is now the third most spoken language in Canada and a strong thread in the country’s multicultural fabric. Punjabi Sikh artist, singer, writer and speaker Kirat Kaur will also be joined by media personality Tarannum Thind in the 2023 honours this year.

The Dhahan Literature Prize is given by the Canada India Education Society in Vancouver, Canada, and was created in collaboration with the Asian Studies Department of the University of British Columbia. This award is mainly contributed by Barjinder Singh Dhahan and his wife Rita Dhahan.