On Thursday, the Sahitya Akademi presented the 2024 Bal Sahitya Awards to 23 writers in recognition of their outstanding contributions to children’s books in various Indian languages. According to an official notification after the ceremony, each laureate received a copper plaque and a Rs 50,000 cash reward.

At the event’s opening, Prof. Suryaprasad Dixit emphasised the value of writing children’s books that are both captivating and aesthetically pleasing. He emphasized the necessity for material that appeals to children’s psychology and piques their interest in anything from thrilling adventures to motivational life stories.

Recognising Literary Excellence

Bharjin Jacob Mosahari for Bodo, Dipanwita Roy for Bengali, and Ranju Hazarika for Assamese were among the recipients. Other winners were Krishnamurthy Biligeri (Kannada), Gira Pinakin Bhatt (Gujarati), and Bishan Singh Dardi (Dogri). Harsha Sadguru Shetye (Konkani) and Muzaffar Hussain Dilbar (Kashmiri) were also honoured with the honours.
A delegate accepted Nandini Sengupta’s English award. Due to health concerns, a few honourees were unable to attend, including Lal Hotchandani (Sindhi), Shamsur Rahman Faruqi (Urdu), and Devendra Kumar (Hindi). For the first time, the awards were given out in Lucknow, a city renowned for its diverse culture.

Promoting Cultural Heritage

Kumud Sharma, vice president of Sahitya Akademi, thanked the recipients and emphasised how children’s books foster psychological fortitude and inventiveness. This was the first time these prizes were given out in Lucknow, a city known for its rich cultural legacy, according to Secretary K Srinivas Rao. Founded in 1954 as India’s National Academy of Letters, the Sahitya Akademi launched the Bal Sahitya Akademi Awards in 2010. Throughout the country, this organisation acts as a major center for literary discussion, publishing, and promotion.

Narayanji (Maithili), Unni Ammayambalam (Malayalam), Kshetrimayum Suvadani (Manipuri), Bharat Sasne (Marathi), Vasant Thapa (Nepali), Manas Ranjan Samal (Odia), Kuldeep Singh Deep (Punjabi), Prahlad Singh Jhora (Rajasthani), Harshdev Madhav (Sanskrit), Dugai Tudu (Santali), Yuma Vasuki (Tamil), and Pamidimukkala Chandrashekhar Azad (Telugu) were among the authors honoured at the event.
The honours highlight the value of children’s books in encouraging young readers’ creativity and education. The Sahitya Akademi continues to support varied storylines that enhance India’s literary environment by honouring these writers.