Sahitya Akademi announced Winners in 24 Languages

Sahitya Akademi Awards 2018, the most prestigious literary honours bestowed on writers for their works across genres and languages, were announced by Sahitya Akademi in 24 languages on 6 December 2018, to be presented to the authors at a special function in January 2019 at Kamani Auditorium, New Delhi. The winners cover extensive range of works representing diversity in contemporary Indian literature, comprising seven collections of poetry, six novels, six short story collections, three works of literary criticism and two collections of essays.

• Sahitya Akademi Awards, instituted in 1954, recognise and promote excellence in Indian writing and also acknowledge new trends.
• Award comprises a Casket containing an engraved copper-plaque, a Shawl and a Cheque of ₹100000.
• The plaque now awarded by the Sahitya Akademi was designed by the Indian film-maker Satyjit Ray
• Sahitya Akademi annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in 24 languages, including 22 listed in the 8^th Schedule of Indian Constitution, along with English and Rajasthani.

Anees Salim is named as one of the winner of the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award (English) for his novel “The Blind Lady’s Descendants“, a long suicide note of a 26-year-old. Salim’s “Vanity Bagh” had won The Hindu Prize for Best Fiction in 2013.

Anees Salim Kerala-born author said that the initial rejections he faced from mainstream publishers were shattering; but they also went a long way in strengthening and streamlining his writing. His latest novel “The Small-Town Sea” garnered critical acclaim after its release in 2017 contended that his literary journey has been a tough one.

12. Ramesan Nair Tamil Nadu-born writer is another winner of Sahitya Akademi Award for Malayalam work, for his poetry collection Guru Pournami, capturing the essence of Narayana Guru’s philosophy. His first poem was published when he was 12. Nair has translated Silappatikaram and Tirukkural into English. He is a famous lyricist who has penned songs for 170 films and 3000 devotional songs, rendered by famous singers like K.J. Yesudas. Nair worked for the All India Radio for 20 years but his drama Sathaabhishekam, parodying Congress leader Karunakaran and his son, led to his transfer.

Nair, a writer well-versed in both Malayalam and Tamil was roped in when Malayalam magazine Kalakamudhi decided to bring out a special cover on DMK leader and former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi after his death. He said, “Besides writing a couple of poems, I also produced two chapters of Kalaignar’s (Karunanidhi’s) Nenjukku Needhi, translated by me, and the issue was received well”.

Nair is currently translating Kamba Ramayanam into Malayalam and has already completed 20% of translation work on Balakanda, who said, “When it comes to poetic beauty, Ramayanam in other languages cannot match Kamban’s work”.

Nair is the third writer of Tamil Nadu origin but settled in Kerala to win the Sahitya Akademi Award. The other two are Neela Padmanabhan and A. Madhavan, who won the award for Tamil literature. Both Padmanabhan and Nair are from Kanniyakumari district.

Winners of Sahitya Akademi Awards 2018 also include Rama Kant Shukla in Sanskrit, Rajesh Kumar Vyas in Rajasthani, Rahman Abbas in Urdu, Lok Nath Upadhyay in Nepali, Chitra Mughal in Hindi and S. Ramakrishnan in Tamil.

Sahitya Akademi Secretary K. Sreenivasarao said at a press conference announcing the winners that the books were selected on the basis of recommendations made by a jury of three members in each language and then approved by the Executive Board of the Sahitya Akademi under the Chairmanship of Akademi President Chandrashekhar Kambar.