Sat Mar 08 17:35:20 UTC 2025: ## 23 Honored with Prestigious Sahitya Akademi Awards

**New Delhi, March 9, 2025** – Twenty-three writers were awarded the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Awards for 2024 at a ceremony on Saturday, March 8th, during the Sahityotsav: Festival of Letters. The awards, announced in December, recognize outstanding literary works in various categories including novels, poetry, short stories, essays, and plays, across numerous Indian languages.

Notable recipients include Hindi poet Gagan Gill (for *Main Jab Tak Aai Bahar*), and English-language Naga author Easterine Kire (for *Spirit Nights*). Other awardees represent a diverse range of languages and literary forms, highlighting the richness of India’s literary landscape. The full list includes works in Kashmiri, Punjabi, Malayalam, Manipuri, Gujarati, Assamese, Rajasthani, Sanskrit, Bodo, Nepali, Sindhi, Konkani, Maithili, Odia, Tamil, and Santali, along with literary criticism in Kannada, Marathi, Telugu, and Urdu.

Each recipient received a plaque, a shawl, and a cash prize of ₹1 lakh. Speaking at the ceremony, renowned playwright Mahesh Dattani emphasized the importance of celebrating India’s linguistic diversity, urging continued support for Indian languages and literature to prevent homogenization in a globalized world. He highlighted the vast array of languages and dialects within India, emphasizing that storytelling is deeply ingrained in Indian culture. Dattani’s speech championed the value of inclusivity, tolerance, and cultural exchange as defining characteristics of India’s national identity.

Read More