Language: Assamese, Genre: Short Stories
Debabrata Das for Nirbachita Galpa, a collection of short-stories that registers a shift from the traditional mode of story-telling, a characteristic of the Ramdhenu age of Assamese literature. The stories written in a poetic style are rich in their representation of the socio-cultural and political realities of the state.
Das, a bachelor of engineering, is a renowned writer, editor and columnist. Winner of several felicitations and awards like the Sathya Jyoti in 2009,
Language: Dogri, Genre: Poetry
Ms. Santosh Khajuria for Badlondian Bahaaraan, a collection of 52 poems that reflects life, relationships and womanhood vividly and powerfully, through diction that is rich and suggestive. Though the treatment is traditional, the work mirrors Duggar (the Dogra region) in a powerful manner.
Santosh is a poetess, an accomplished vocal singer and sitar player, and a renowned creative voice in Dogri. Born in a traditional Dogri family, she started writing poetry since childhood and today her poems form part of school and college syllabus. She has recently been conferred with the Dogri Sanstha award for her immense contribution to the Dogri language.
Language: Marathi, Genre: Criticism
Prof. R.G. Jadhav for Nivadak Samiksha, selected essays in literary and socio-cultural criticism, spread over a period of nearly five decades. Professor Jadhav brings a fine critical sensibility to this vast gamut, informed by the nuances of text, context, history and protest.
He is an exemplary essayist, noted writer, renowned critic and a Professor of Marathi.
With more than forty books featuring poetry, belle letters and literary criticism, Jadhav’s contribution to the cause of Marathi literature is noteworthy and mre than ten of his books have been conferred with prestigious literary awards.
Language: Odia, Genre: Poetry
Brajnath Rath for Samanya Asamanya, a poetry collection containing three types of poems - progressive, satirical and philosophical. The poems are bereft of artificiality and invoke a myriad of emotions. This unique collection carries the message of hope to mankind.
His first poem was written to welcome India’s independence in 1947. His poetry is artistic yet simple and his melodious phrases and words touch the heart. Brajanath Rath has been conferred with the highest honours from the Orissa Sahitya Akademi Award for Manara Manachitra (Map of the Mind) to the Silver Jubilee Award for poetry by Prajatantra Prachar Samiti, Cuttack.
Language: Rajasthani, Genre: Short Stories
Vijay Dan Detha for Bataan Ri Fulwari – Vol.14, a collection of love stories that draws on Rajasthani folk-lore and dialects, and sympathetically captures the mindset of lovers. It instils new life into Rajasthani prose but is also exemplary in its content, narration, story, message, language, feeling and syntax.
A renowned Rajasthani writer, editor, columnist and songwriter, Vijay Dan Detha has more than 800 short stories to his credit which have been translated into English and other languages. His literary excellence has been conferred with the highest honours and he is the recipient of the Padam Shri and the Sahitya Akademi Fellow Award.
Language: Santali, Genre: Novel
Somai Kisku for Namalia, which beautifully describes and depicts the lifestyle of the Santal people of ‘Namal’. Based on facts, it tells the story of the migration of these people to the rich paddy-growing region of ‘Namal’ due to the construction of a dam on river Kansavati.
Kisku is the President of the Santali Sahitya Baisi, West Bengal and member and former President of the All India Santali Writers Association. His work spans novels, short stories and a book of poems. He has received prestigious honours like the Hooghly Zila Santali Sahitya Parishad Literary Award, the Kolkata Adibassi Press Club Literary Award.
Language: Tamil, Genre: Novel
S. Ramakrishnan for Yaamam, a novel encompassing a mystical, mythological and historical outlook of human life told using the different techniques of modern story-telling. The symbolic way of expression in this novel is something that has never been seen in Tamil literature never seen before and only rarely in world literature.
Ramakrishnan is an influential writer of modern Tamil literature, renowned for his modern story-telling style. He is also a noted screenplay and dialogue writer and the short film Karna Motcham with his screenplay won the national Award for the Best Short Film and several Indian and International Film Festival awards.
Language: Urdu, Genre: Poetry
Chander Bhan Khayal for Subah-e-Mashriq Ki Azan, a collection of poems and ghazals that are invested with tremendous creative potentiality. In this collection, he juxtaposes immediate concerns of life with ultimate concerns of life and fuses them into excellent poetic material.
An acclaimed journalist, critic and veteran Urdu poet, he has been dedicated to the development and advancement of the National cultural and literary scenario for over 45 years. He is Vice Chairman of the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language, Ministry of HRD, Government of India.
The Presentation Ceremony for the ‘Tagore Literature Awards’ included a celebration of Gurudev’s work through reading and music apart from the presentation of Awards. Daughter of Nobel laureate Amartya Sen and film and theatre actor Nandana Sen hosted the event.
Held at the Rabindra Natya Mandir in Mumbai, the glittering Awards Function, Instituted by Samsung India and the Sahitya Akademi in 2009, saw literary works in Assamese, Dogri, Marathi, Oriya, Rajasthani, Santhali, Tamil and Urdu being awarded. The winners were chosen across different genres of essays, poetry, biography/autobiography etc. for literary works between the years 2006-08 in these eight Indian languages.