Authors M. T. Vasudevan Nair, Vinod Kumar Shukla to be honoured with lifetime achievement award

NEW DELHI: Renowned Hindi writer Vinod Kumar Shukla and Malayalam author-filmmaker M. T. Vasudevan Nair will be conferred with 'Aakashdeep,' the lifetime achievement award for their exceptional contributions to literature, culture, and society. Sharing his feelings about receiving this honour, M. T. Vasudevan Nair said, "We gather experiences like children collecting beautiful pebbles in their pockets. This is how, over time, experiences come alive in writing."

M. T. Vasudevan Nair is a multifaceted personality known for his profound impact on modern Malayalam art and literature. As an acclaimed author and filmmaker, Nair has contributed significantly to shaping the cultural narrative of Kerala.

Over the course of seven decades, he has authored nine novels, 19 collections of short stories, directed six films, and several collections of essays and memoirs. At the age of 25, he won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi award for his second novel, Naalukettu (1959), and a decade later, Kaalam, his fifth novel, earned him the Kendra Sahitya Akademi medal.

Vinod Kumar Shukla, born on January 1, 1937, in Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh is a luminary in Hindi literature. His unparalleled insights and literary prowess have made a lasting impression on the literary landscape. Shukla's journey in the realm of Hindi literature has been marked by a unique blend of creativity and thought-provoking narratives, earning him admiration and respect.

On being honoured with this award, Vinod Kumar Shukla said, "I don't think in words; I think in images. Writing is an unfinished task, and I consider it a responsibility."

The 'Aakashdeep' award is established by Hindi News group Amar Ujala. Amar Ujala's Group Advisor Yashwant Vyas and coordinator of Shabd Samman, stated that the Amar Ujala Foundation celebrates the power of Indian languages and their collective dream. The 'Aakashdeep' Award, the highest honour in this category, includes a cash prize of Rs 5 Lakh, a certificate of commendation, and a symbolic Ganga statue.

The 'Aakashdeep' Award was previously bestowed upon luminaries in Kannada (Girish Karnad), Marathi (Bhalchandra Nemade), Bengali (Shankh Ghosh), and Oriya (Pratibha Rai), has chosen Malayalam as the language of honour for the current year. Past recipients include distinguished figures in Hindi language such as Namvar Singh, Gyanranjan, Vishwanath Tripathi, and Shekhar Joshi. In addition to individual awards, the Shabd Samman Amar Ujala-23 are announced for the Best Literary Works of the Year.

Kumar Ambuj's poetry collection 'Upasheershak' , Manoj Rupada's story collection 'Dahan' and Dalpat Singh Rajpurohit's 'Sundar Ke Swapna' in the non-fiction category receive recognition as the best literary works of the year. The first book 'Thaap' category acknowledges Chinmayi Tripathi's work 'Apni Kahi,' and Malini Gautam is awarded the Bhasha Bandhu Award for the Hindi translation of Gujarati Dalit poetry.

A distinguished panel of judges, including renowned poet Naresh Saxena, acclaimed novelist Chitra Mudgal, distinguished author Shaji Zaman, celebrated writer Alok Bhalla, and esteemed poet Ashtabhuj Shukla, has critically evaluated these works.