The literary scene in India was recently abuzz with activity when the Sahitya Akademi announced the recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award 2021 in 20 languages. Additionally, winners of the Yuva Puraskar and Bal Sahitya Puraskar for the year 2021 were also declared.
About the Sahitya Akademi Award
Established in 1954, the Sahitya Akademi Award serves as an esteemed annual literary honour presented by the Sahitya Akademi, India’s National Academy of letters. It has an allotted annual quota of 24 awards presented to outstanding literary works in languages recognised by the Akademi. The same number of awards also recognises literary translations from and into Indian languages.
Apart from the 22 languages included in the constitution of India, the Sahitya Akademi has extended its program implementation to English and Rajasthani. This makes the Sahitya Akademi Award the second-highest literary accolade handed out by the Government of India, following the Jnanpith award.
Criteria for Selection of Awardees
To be considered for this prestigious award, an author must possess Indian nationality. The work or book that is nominated should represent a notable contribution to the language and literature to which it belongs. In cases where books from two or more authors are found to have equal merit, additional factors such as their overall literary contribution and standing will be taken into account for deciding the winner.
Other Sahitya Akademi Awards
The Sahitya Akademi does not limit its acknowledgement to just one category. There are other awards like the Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar given to authors based on the holistic contribution to children’s literature. This refers to books published during the five years immediately prior to the award year.
The Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar is another recognition that singles out books written by authors aged 35 and below.
About the Jnanpith Award
The Jnanpith award, conferred annually, is the highest literary recognition granted in India. It’s exclusively for Indian citizens and considers books written in English and other languages mentioned in the Indian Constitution (8th Schedule). Along with the prestigious title, the winner receives a cash prize of Rs. 11 lakhs, a citation, and a bronze replica of Vagdevi (Saraswati), the goddess of learning. Bharatiya Jnanpith, a cultural organisation, sponsors this award.
Recent winners of the Jnanpith award include Assamese poet Nilmani Phookan Jr who grabbed the 56th Jnanpith Award (2021) and Konkani novelist Damodar Mauzo who was honoured with the 57th Jnanpith Award (2022).