Agartala: Four renowned writers of northeastern India will be awarded the Sahitya Akademi translation prize 2010 for their outstanding literary works, an official said here in Tripura capital Thursday.
The awards would be presented during a special function at Thrissur in Kerala Aug 16, according to an official release of the Sahitya Akademi.
“Sahitya Akademi headed by renowned litterateur Sunil Gangopadhyay recently selected 23 writers of as many languages across the country,” said Agrahara Krishna Murthy, Sahitya Akademi secretary.
The northeast writers are Anupama Dutta Saikia (from Assam in Assamese language), Shyamal Bhattacharya (from Tripura in Bengali language), L. Birendra Kumar Sharma (from Manipur in Manipuri language) and Uthrisar Khungur Basumatary (from Assam in Bodo language).
Saikia has translated a Kannada novel; Bhattacharya translated Punjabi short stories; Basumatary translated an Assamese novel; and Sharma translated noted writer and journalist Khuswant Singh’s novel “Train to Pakistan”.
The prize carries an amount of Rs.50,000, an engraved copper plaque and a citation.
Shyamal Bhattacharya, a former official of Indian Air Force, told IANS: “A large number of poets, writers, artists and litterateurs of northeast India are yet to be recognised although they have done so many outstanding works in the literary and cultural fields.” (IANS)