Eminent Hindi writer Vinod Kumar Shukla has been announced as the recipient of the 59th Jnanpith Award, India's most prestigious literary honour.
At 88 years old, Shukla is a celebrated short story writer, poet, and essayist, regarded as one of the foremost contemporary voices in Hindi literature. Notably, he is the first writer from Chhattisgarh to receive this distinguished accolade.
The Jnanpith Award includes a cash prize of ₹11 lakh, a bronze statue of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of learning, and a citation.
The decision to confer the award on Shukla was made during a meeting of the Jnanpith Selection Committee, chaired by Pratibha Ray, a renowned storyteller and previous Jnanpith awardee.
"Vinod Kumar Shukla will be the first author from the state of Chhattisgarh to be honoured with this award. This recognition is being conferred upon him for his exceptional contribution to Hindi literature, creativity, and distinctive writing style," the committee stated in a formal announcement.
Among those present at the meeting were notable literary figures such as Madhav Kaushik, Damodar Mauzo, Prabha Varma, Anamika, A Krishna Rao, Prafful Shiledar, Janki Prasad Sharma, and the director of Jnanpith, Madhusudan Anand.
Shukla's writing is celebrated for its unique linguistic texture and profound emotional depth. He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1999 for his book Deewar Mein Ek Khirkee Rahati Thi.
Some of his other acclaimed works include the novel Naukar Ki Kameez (1979), which was adapted into a film by filmmaker Mani Kaul, and a poetry collection titled Sab Kuch Hona Bacha Rahega (1992).
The Jnanpith Award, established in 1961, was first presented in 1965 to Malayalam poet G. Sankara Kurup for his anthology Odakkuzhal. It is awarded exclusively to Indian authors for their significant contributions to literature.
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