Celebrating the 75th Sahitya Akademi Awards: Honoring Literary Excellence in 2024
On June 15, the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, announced the winners of the prestigious Yuva Puraskar and Bal Sahitya Puraskar for 2024. These awards recognize outstanding contributions to literature across various Indian languages, celebrating both seasoned authors and emerging young talents. This year's awards highlight the rich diversity and vibrant creativity that characterize India's literary heritage.
Yuva Puraskar 2024 Winners
The Yuva Puraskar acknowledges young literary talent, recognizing authors under 35 who have shown remarkable promise. Here are some of the notable winners:
- Assamese: Nayanjyoti Sarma for Jaal Kota Jui (Short Stories)
- Bengali: Sutapa Chakraborty for Deraje Halud Ful, Gatajanma (Poetry)
- Bodo: Self-Made Rani Baro for Saikhlum (Short Stories)
- English: K. Vaishali for Homeless: Growing up Lesbian and Dyslexic in India (Memoir)
- Gujarati: Rinku Rathod ‘Shivshree’ for ....to tame raji? (Ghazal)
- Hindi: Gaurav Pandey for Smritiyon ke beech Hari hai Prithvi (Poetry)
- Kannada: Shruthi B. R. for Zero Balance (Poetry)
- Kashmiri: Mohd. Ashraf Ziya for Aene Baedas (Criticism)
- Konkani: Adwait Chandrakant Salgaonkar for Pedanyacha Samaaram (Essays)
- Malayalam: Shyamkrishnan R. for Meeshakkallan (Short Stories)
- Manipuri: Waikhom Chingkheinganba for Ashiba Turel (Poetry)
- Marathi: Devidas Saudagar for Usvan (Novel)
- Nepali: Bharati Rai for Samayaka Prashnaharu (Poetry)
- Odia: Bikram Kumar Mishra for Jhara Mahol (Short Stories)
- Punjabi: Mandeep Kaur for Dharti Heer (Poetry)
- Rajasthani: Usha Kiran Khan for Peel (Poetry)
- Sanskrit: To be declared later
- Santali: Laxmi Hembram for Banhime Dular (Poetry)
- Sindhi: Satish Rohra for Mitti Ji Sugan (Essays)
- Tamil: Sharmila Seyyid for Pannasai (Poetry)
- Telugu: Chaitanya Prasad for Manasunna Maata (Poetry)
- Urdu: Iqbal Arshad for Nazr-e-Khuda (Poetry)
Each Yuva Puraskar awardee will receive a casket containing an engraved copper plaque and a cheque for Rs. 50,000 at a ceremony later.
Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2024 Winners
The Bal Sahitya Puraskar honors exceptional contributions to children's literature across 24 Indian languages. The selected works include novels, poetry, short stories, plays, and historical fiction.
- Assamese: Ranju Hazarika for Biponna Bismoi Khel (Novel)
- Bengali: Dipanwita Roy for Mahidadur Antidote (Novel)
- Bodo: Virgin Jekova Machahary for Buhuma Boynibw (Poetry)
- Dogri: Bishan Singh ‘Dardi’ for Kukdu Kadoon (Poetry)
- English: Nandini Sengupta for The Blue Horse and Other Amazing Animals from Indian History (Historical Fiction)
- Gujarati: Gira Pinakin Bhatt for Hasati Haveli (Stories)
- Hindi: Devender Kumar for 51 Baal Kahaniyan (Stories)
- Kannada: Krishnamurthy Biligere for Choomantrayyana Kathegalu (Short Stories)
- Kashmiri: Muzaffar Hussain Dilbar for Sone Gobrew (Poetry)
- Konkani: Harsha Sadguru Shetye for Ek Ashil’lem Bayul (Novel)
- Maithili: Narayanjee for Anar (Short Stories)
- Malayalam: Unni Ammayambalam for Algorithangalude Nadu (Novel)
- Manipuri: Kshetrimayum Subadani for Malem Atiya (Novel)
- Marathi: Bharat Sasane for Samsher Aani Bhootbangala (Novel)
- Nepali: Basanta Thapa for Desh Ra Fuchhey (Poetry)
- Odia: Manas Ranjan Samal for Gapa Kalika (Short Stories)
- Punjabi: Kuldeep Singh Deep for Mai Jalianwala Bagh Bolda Haan (Play)
- Rajasthani: Prahlad Singh ‘Jhorda’ for Mhari Dhani (Poetry)
- Sanskrit: Harshdev Madhav for Bubhukshitah Kakah (Short Stories)
- Santali: Dugai Tudu for Miru Arang (Poetry)
- Sindhi: Lal Hotchandani ‘Lachaar’ for Dostan ji Dosti (Stories)
- Tamil: Yuma Vasuki for Thanviyin Piranthanal (Stories)
- Telugu: P. Chandrashekhar Azad for Maya Lokam (Novel)
- Urdu: Shamsul Islam Farooqi for Barf Ka Des Antarctica (Short Stories)
The winners of the Bal Sahitya Puraskar will also receive a casket containing an engraved copper plaque and a cheque for Rs. 50,000 at a special function to be held later.
About Sahitya Akademi
The Sahitya Akademi, India’s National Academy of Letters, promotes literature in India's languages. Founded on March 12, 1954, it is supported by, but independent of, the Indian government. Its office is located in Rabindra Bhavan near Mandi House in Delhi. The Sahitya Akademi Library is one of India’s largest multilingual libraries, with a rich collection of books on literature and related subjects. It publishes two bimonthly literary journals: Indian Literature in English and Samkaleen Bharatiya Sahitya in Hindi.
Sahitya Akademi Award
The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honor given annually to writers of outstanding books in any of the 22 languages listed in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution, as well as in English and Rajasthani. Established in 1954, the award includes a plaque and a cash prize of ₹1,00,000, recognizing excellence in Indian writing and new trends.
Yuva Puraskar
The Yuva Puraskar, also known as the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar, is an annual literary honor given to young writers of outstanding works in one of the 22 major Indian languages. Instituted in 2011, it is aimed at encouraging writers under 35. It includes a cash prize of Rs. 50,000 and an engraved copper plaque.
Bal Sahitya Puraskar
The Bal Sahitya Puraskar, also known as the Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar, is a literary honor given annually for contributions to children's literature in any of the 22 languages listed in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution, as well as in English and Rajasthani. Instituted in 2010, it includes a cash prize of Rs. 50,000 and an engraved copper plaque.
