Sahitya honour for Dogri, Punjabi writers

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 17

A Dogri poet, Punjabi novelist, and books on criticism by Urdu and Kashmiri writers have won the Sahitya Akademi awards for 2015.

Dogri poet Dhian Singh’s work “Parchhamen Di Lo”, Jaswinder Singh’s “Maat Lok” novel in Punjabi, Shamim Tariq’s Urdu critique “Tasawwuf aur Bhakti” and Bashir Bhaderwahi’s Kashmiri critique of Jamis ta Kasheeri Manz Kashir Natia Adabuk Tawareekh have won the prestigious literary award this year.

The award winning novelists are: Cyrus Mistry (English), KR Meena (Malayalam), Jaswinder Singh (Punjabi) and Madhu Acharya ‘Ashawadi’ (Rajasthani). The books have been selected on recommendations made by a jury of three members in the concerned languages.

Six books of short stories, six poetry books, four novels and two books each of essays, criticism and plays and one of memoirs have won the award. The award in Bengali will be announced at a later date.

The awards were recommended by jury members representing 23 Indian languages and approved by the Executive Board of the Sahitya Akademi which met today under its President Dr Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari.

The award consists of an engraved copper plaque, a shawl and a cheque for Rs 1 lakh. The awards will be presented during a special function organised by the Sahitya Akademi on February 16, 2016 in New Delhi.