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Sahitya Akademi award for Vairamuthu, Sara Joseph

NEW DELHI DEC. 25. Reputed novelists Kamleshwar, Prafulla Roy, Sara Joseph, Tamil film lyricist R. Vairamuthu, and critic K.V. Subbanna, are among this year's recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Awards announced here on Wednesday.

The awards, representing 22 Indian languages, are for six novels, five short stories, five poems and three essays, the secretary of the Akademi, K. Satchidanandan, said while announcing the prestigious awards.

While Kamleshwar gets the honour for his `Kitne Pakistan,' Bengali novelist Prafulla Roy was awarded for `Krantikal,' Bindu Bhatt for Gujarati novel `Akhepatar,' Malayali novelist Sara Joseph for `Alahayude Penmakkal,' T.V. Saradeshmukh for Marathi novel `Dangora: Eka Nagaricha,' Bindya Subba for Nepali novel `Athah' and Vairamuthu for `Kallikattu Ithihasam.'

Among the poets who received the awards were Bireswar Barua (Assamese), late Ashwini Magotra (Dogri), Santosh Mayamohan (Rajasthani), Bhaskaracharya Tripathi (Sanskrit) and Utpala Satyanarayanacharya (Telugu).

Contrary to the trend the world over where fiction is on the decline, 16 of this year's Akademi honours went to prose, including five short stories, one play and three essays.

In the short story category, late Som Nath Zutshi got the award for his Kashmiri story `Yeli Phol Gaash,' late Shashank Sitaram got the prize for `Parigh' (Konkani), Niraja Renu for her Maithili classic `Ritambhara' and Manipuri author Sudhir Naoroibam for `Leiyee Khara Punsi Khara.'

Indian Revenue Service officer, Syed Muhammad Ashraf, bagged the award for his Urdu story `Baad-e-Saba Ka Intizar.'

While Punjabi writer Charan Dass Sidhu got the Akademi nod for the award in the play category (`Bhagat Singh Shahid: Natak Tikri'), noted Oriya critic J.M. Mohanty bagged the criticism award for his work `Suryasnata.'

The awards for the essay category were shared by English author Meenakshi Mukherjee, Kannada literary figure, K.V. Subbanna and Sindhi author, Hiro Thakur.

The award in the form of a casket containing an engraved copper-plaque and a cheque of Rs. 50,000 will be presented at a special function in the beginning of next year to mark the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Akademi, Mr. Satchidanandan said. — PTI

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