Recently Sahitya Akademy announced the awards for the year 2019. The awards were recommended by distinguished jury members representing 23 Indian languages and approved by the Executive Board of the Sahitya Akademi
Politician-writer Shashi Tharoor(for An Era of Darkness) and playwright Nand Kishore Acharya are among 23 writers who are bestowed with the Sahitya Akademi Award 2019.
About Sahitya Akademi
Sahitya Akademi, India’s National Academy of Letters was formally inaugurated by the Government of India on 12 March 1954.
The Government of India Resolution, which set forth the constitution of the Akademi, described it as a national organisation to work actively for the development of Indian letters and to set high literary standards to foster and co-ordinate literary activities in the Indian languages and to promote through them the cultural unity of the country.
Though set up by the Government, the Akademi functions as an autonomous organisation. It was registered as a society on 7 January 1956, under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
As India’s premier literary institution, the Akademi preserves and promotes literature contained in twenty four Indian languages recognised by it through Awards, Fellowships, and grants, Publications, Literary Programmes, Workshops and Exhibitions.
The Akademi also undertakes literary exchange programmes with various countries across the globe to promote Indian literature beyond the shores of India.
It is the central institution for literary dialogue, publication and promotion in the country and the only institution that undertakes literary activities in 24 Indian languages, including English.
It also gives special awards called Bhasha Samman to significant contribution to the languages not formally recognized by the Akademi as also for contribution to classical and medieval literature.
The Akademi has launched Centres for Translation in Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Delhi, and an Archive of Indian Literature in Delhi.
Languages Recognised: Besides the 22 languages enumerated in the Constitution of India, the Sahitya Akademi has recognised English and Rajasthani as languages in which its programme may be implemented.
Regional offices:
Kolkata
Banglore
Chennai
Mumbai
Agartala
