Who is Vinod Kumar Shukla, Hindi writer selected for 59th Jnanpith award?

Eminent Hindi writer Vinod Kumar Shukla was named the recipient of the 59th Jnanpith Award, India's highest literary honor, on Saturday. The 88-year-old author, renowned for his short stories, poetry, and essays, becomes the first writer from Chhattisgarh to receive the prestigious award. Widely regarded as one of the greatest contemporary Hindi writers, he is the 12th author in the language to be honored with the Jnanpith Award.

The award carries with it a cash reward of Rs 11 lakh, a bronze statue of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of learning, and a citation.

The decision was made during the meeting of the Jnanpith Selection Committee, chaired by eminent storyteller and Jnanpith awardee Pratibha Ray.


"Vinod Kumar Shukla will be the first author from the state of Chhattisgarh to be honoured with this award. This honour is being conferred upon him for his outstanding contribution to Hindi literature, creativity and distinctive writing style," the committee said in a statement.

Other members of the selection committee present at the meeting included Madhav Kaushik, Damodar Mauzo, Prabha Varma, Anamika, A Krishna Rao, Prafful Shiledar, Janki Prasad Sharma and Jnanpith director Madhusudan Anand.

Known for his distinctive linguistic texture and emotional depth, Shukla received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1999 for his book "Deewar Mein Ek Khirkee Rahati Thi".

Shukla's other notable works include "Naukar ki Kameez" (1979), a novel that was adapted into a film by Mani Kaul, and a poetry collection "Sab Kuch Hona Bacha Rahega" (1992).

The Jnanpith Award, instituted in 1961, was first given to Malayalam poet G. Sankara Kurup in 1965 for this anthology of poems "Odakkuzhal". It is awarded only to Indian authors.

The Jnanpith Award is considered the highest literary honor in India, given to authors who have excelled in literature in any of India’s 22 official languages, as specified in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 11 lakh, a bronze statue of Vagdevi, and a citation. The Jnanpith Award was first instituted in 1965, and since then, it has been awarded to some of the most celebrated writers in India.