Indian Literary Awards and Recipients (2024-25)
Sahitya Akademi Awards 2024
The Sahitya Akademi Awards, India’s second-highest literary honor after the Jnanpith Award, recognized outstanding literary works in 24 languages (with Bengali, Dogri, and Urdu results announced later). The awards ceremony is scheduled for March 8, 2025, with each winner receiving a casket with an engraved copper plate, a shawl, and Rs 1 lakh cash prize.
Table 1: Sahitya Akademi Award Winners 2024
| Language | Author | Title | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assamese | Sameer Tanti | Pharingbore Bator Katha Jane | Poetry |
| Bodo | Aron Raja | Swrni Thakhai | Novel |
| English | Easterine Kire | Spirit Nights | Novel |
| Gujarati | Dileep Jhaveri | Bhagwan-ni Vato | Poetry |
| Hindi | Gagan Gill | Main Jab Tak Aai Bahar | Poetry |
| Kannada | K.V. Narayana | Nudigala Alivu | Literary Criticism |
| Kashmiri | Sohan Koul | Psychiatric Ward | Novel |
| Konkani | Mukesh Thali | Rangtarang | Essays |
| Maithili | Mahendra Malangia | Prabandh Sangrah | Essays |
| Malayalam | K. Jayakumar | Pingalakeshini | Poetry |
| Manipuri | Haobam Satyabati Devi | Mainu Bora Nungshi Sheiroi | Poetry |
| Marathi | Sudhir Rasal | Vindanche Gadyaroop | Criticism |
| Nepali | Yuva Barai | Chhichimira | Short Stories |
| Odia | Baishnab Charan Samai | Bhuti Bhakti Bibhuti | Essays |
| Punjabi | Paul Kaur | Sun Gunvanta Sun Budhivanta: Itihaasnama Punjab | Poetry |
| Rajasthani | Mukut Maniraj | Gaon Ar Amma | Poetry |
| Sanskrit | Dipak Kumar Sharma | Bhaskaracaritam | Poetry |
| Santali | Maheswar Soren | Seched Saw | Not specified |
Jnanpith Award 2024
The Jnanpith Award, India’s highest literary honor, recognized two eminent literary figures in 2024:
Table 2: Jnanpith Award Winners 2024
| Author | Language | Notable Works |
|---|---|---|
| Gulzar | Urdu | Renowned poet, lyricist, and filmmaker |
| Jagadguru Rambhadracharya | Sanskrit | Prominent Sanskrit scholar and religious leader |
Important Note: This marks the fifth time the Jnanpith Award was given for Urdu literature and the second time for Sanskrit literature.
Literature Live Awards 2024
The Literature Live! Mumbai Litfest announced its prestigious literary awards across multiple categories:
Table 3: Literature Live Award Winners 2024
| Category | Author | Book/Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| Fiction Book of the Year | Anjum Husain | History’s Angel |
| Fiction Book of the Year | Lindsay Pereira | The Memoirs of Valmiki Rao |
| Nonfiction Book of the Year | Yuvan Aves | Intertidal: A Coast and Marsh Diary |
| Fiction Best First Book | Atharva Pandit | Hurda |
| Nonfiction Best First Book | Sudha Bharadwaj | From Phansi Yard: My Year with the Women of Yerawada |
| Business Book of the Year | Pradip K Saha | The Learning Trap: How Byju’s Took Indian Edtech for a Ride |
| Poet Laureate | Arvind Krishna Mehrotra | For lifetime contribution to poetry |
| Lifetime Achievement Award | Pratibha Ray | Renowned Odia writer |
International Literary Awards and Recipients (2024-25)
Major International Literary Prizes
Table 4: Prestigious International Literary Awards 2024-25
| Award | Author | Book | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| International Booker Prize | Jenny Erpenbeck (translated by Michael Hofmann) | Kairos | First German writer to win; first male translator to win; £50,000 prize split equally between author and translator |
| Booker Prize | Samantha Harvey | Orbital | Story about astronauts from different countries spending a day in the International Space Station |
| Pulitzer Prize (Fiction) | Jayne Anne Phillips | Night Watch | Story of a mother and daughter in a mental asylum during the Civil War in West Virginia3 |
| Pulitzer Prize (Nonfiction) | Nathan Thrall | A Day in the Life of Abed Salama | About the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through one man’s personal tragedy |
| National Book Award | Percival Everett | James | Retelling of “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” from Jim’s perspective |
| Nobel Prize in Literature | Han Kang | Vegetarian | Explores personal choice, human relationships, and identity struggles |
| Women’s Prize for Fiction | V.V. Ganeshananthan | Brotherless Night | Set during a civil war and struggle for homeland |
| Women’s Prize for Nonfiction | Naomi Klein | Doppelganger | First-ever Women’s Prize for Nonfiction; explores identity, politics, and parallels in a divided world |
| Agatha Award | Tara Laskowski | The Weekend Retreat | Mystery featuring three siblings and their annual winery visit |
Prominent Literary Figures in India (2024-25)
Table 5: Visionary Literary Personalities of India 2024
| Author | Notable Works | Recognition |
|---|---|---|
| Aravind Adiga | The White Tiger | Man Booker Prize winner (2008); commentary on ambition, class struggle, and success |
| Arushi Vats | Contemporary poet and writer | Emerging voice in Indian literature |
| Suchandra Roychowdhury | Modern fiction writer | Notable contribution to contemporary Indian literature |
| Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni | The Last Queen, The Palace of Illusions | Acclaimed Indian-American author known for women-centered narratives |
Award-Winning Books for Literature Questions
Table 6: Must-Know Award-Winning Books for Competitive Exams
| Book | Author | Award | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kairos | Jenny Erpenbeck | International Booker Prize | 2024 |
| Orbital | Samantha Harvey | Booker Prize | 2024 |
| James | Percival Everett | National Book Award | 2024 |
| Night Watch | Jayne Anne Phillips | Pulitzer Prize (Fiction) | 2024 |
| A Day in the Life of Abed Salama | Nathan Thrall | Pulitzer Prize (Nonfiction) | 2024 |
| Vegetarian | Han Kang | Nobel Prize in Literature | 2024 |
| Spirit Nights | Easterine Kire | Sahitya Akademi Award (English) | 2024 |
| Main Jab Tak Aai Bahar | Gagan Gill | Sahitya Akademi Award (Hindi) | 2024 |
Important Literary Awards for Competitive Exams
Table 7: Key Literary Awards to Remember
| Award Name | Level | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Jnanpith Award | National (India) | Highest literary honor in India |
| Sahitya Akademi Award | National (India) | Second-highest literary honor in India; recognizes 24 languages |
| Booker Prize | International | Prestigious prize for fiction written in English and published in the UK |
| International Booker Prize | International | For works translated into English from other languages |
| Pulitzer Prize | International (mainly US) | Recognizes achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition |
| Nobel Prize in Literature | International | Most prestigious international literary award |
| Women’s Prize for Fiction | International | For female authors of any nationality writing in English |
| National Book Award | US | Recognizes outstanding literary work by US citizens |
Quick Facts for Competitive Exams
Sahitya Akademi Awards 2024: 24 total winners (21 announced, with Bengali, Dogri, and Urdu pending); 8 poetry books, 3 novels, 2 short stories, 3 essays, 3 literary criticism works, 1 play, and 1 research work.
International Booker Prize 2024: Won by Jenny Erpenbeck (first German writer to win) and translator Michael Hofmann (first male translator to win); prize money of £50,000 split equally
Jnanpith Award 2024: Joint winners – Gulzar (Urdu) and Jagadguru Rambhadracharya (Sanskrit); fifth time for Urdu and second time for Sanskrit
Nobel Prize in Literature 2024: Awarded to Han Kang for “Vegetarian”
