New Delhi : Sahitya Akademi has selected 22 writers for the Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2019 and 23 writers for Yuva Puraskar 2019. The Executive Board of the Akademi that met in Agartala today, under the Chairmanship of its President, Dr. Chandrashekhar Kambar approved the selection of awardees. The Union Minister for Tourism and Culture (Independent Charge), Shri Prahlad Singh Patel congratulated the award winners. The awardees have been selected on the basis of recommendations made by the Jury comprising of three members each in the concerned language, in accordance with the rules and procedure laid down for the purpose. According to the procedure, the Executive Board declared the Awards on the basis of unanimous/majority vote by the Jury. Award in Maithili will be declared on a later date.
For the Bal Sahitya Puraskar, the Awards relate to books first published during the five years immediately preceding the year of Award (i.e. between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2017). However, during the initial ten years i.e. from 2010 to 2019, the award may also be given to an author based on his/her total contribution to Children Literature.
Meanwhile, eleven books of poetry, six of short story, five of novel and one literary criticism have won the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2019. The Award relates to books published by an author of the age of 35 and below as on 1st January of the year of the award.
The Award in the form of a casket containing an engraved copper-plaque and a cheque of Rs.50,000/- will be presented to the awardees at a special function to be held at a later date.
