Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2019: Tanuj Solanki, Salman Abdus Samad win top honours

Sahitya Akademi, India’s national academy of letters, announced a list of 22 winners of the Bal Sahitya Puraskar and 23 recipients of the Yuva Puraskar for 2019 on 14 June. The Executive Board of the Akademi, under the chairmanship of its President, Chandrashekhar Kambar, approved the selection of awardees in Agartala. While the Bal Puraskar will be conferred upon the winners on the Children’s Day, the day for the Yuva Puraskar is yet to be decided. [caption id=“attachment_4271161” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  The Sahitya Akademi Award. Image from Wikimedia Commons[/caption] “For the Bal Sahitya Puraskar, the Awards relate to books first published during the five years immediately preceding the year of Award (between 1 January, 2013 and 31 December, 2017). However, during the initial 10 years (from 2010 to 2019), the award may also be given to an author based on his/her total contribution to Children’s Literature,” read a statement issued by the Akademi. Six books of children’s poetry, including works by Vijay Sharma (Dogri), Naji Munauwar (Kashmiri), and Sanjay Chaubey (Sanskrit); five story books by authors including Govind Sharma (Hindi), Mohammad Khalil (Urdu), and Swmim Nasrin (Assamese); and five authors for their total contribution in children’s literature won the Bal Sahitya Puraskar. Apart from these, one folk tale author, Lakhminath Brahma, in Bodo language, three novels by Chandrakanth Karadalli (Kannada), Salim Sardar Mulla (Marathi), and Pawan Harchandpuri (Punjabi); one history book by Devika Cariapa in English, and one play by R K Sanahanbi Chanu in Manipuri won the prestigious award. Eleven books of poetry, including works by Anuj Lugun (Hindi), Sagar Nazir (Kashmiri), Anuja Akathoottu (Malayalam); six of short stories by authors, including Tanuj Solanki (English), Ajay Soni (Gujarati), Keerti Parihar (Rajasthani); five novels by Moumita (Bengali), and Salman Abdus Samad (Urdu) among others won the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2019. Bal Sahitya Puraskar and Yuva Puraskar in Maithili will be declared on a later date. The winners of both the awards will receive a casket containing an engraved copper plaque and a cheque of Rs 50,000.