56th and 57th Jnanpith Awards were announced recently, for the year 2020 and 2021 respectively.
Key Facts
- Assamese Poet Nilmani Phookan Jr. and Konkani Novelist Damodar Mauzo have emerged as the winners of 56th and 57th Award respectively. They were selected for their contribution to Indian literature.
- Jnanpith Awards are India’s highest literary honour, which is bestowed on the writers for their outstanding contribution in Literature.
- Both Phookan and Mauzo are also the winners of Sahitya Akademi Award. They are known for their significant contribution to the respective regional literature.
- Damodar Mauzo is from Majorda in Goa while Nilmani Phookan is from Guwahati in Assam.
Assamese Poet Nilmani Phookan
Assamese Poet Nilmani Phookan received the highest literary honour ‘Jnanpith Award’, honouring his lifelong devotion to literature.
Other Assamese to won the award
Assam has received Jnanpith Award for the third time. Before Nilmani Phookan, Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya won the award in 1979 while Mamoni Raisom Goswami won it in 2000.
Konkani Writer Damodar Mauzo
Damodar Mauzo is a 77 years old Konkani writer. He has been awarded the 57th Jnanpith Award. He is known for his novels like Tsunami Simon and Karmelin as well as for short stories like Other Stories from Goa and Teresa’s Man.
About Jnanpith Award
Jnanpith Award is the oldest and highest literary award. Award is honoured annually by Bharatiya Jnanpith to an author for their contribution to literature. The award was established in 1961. It is bestowed only on the Indian writers who are write in the Indian languages mentioned in the 8th schedule of Indian Constitution, besides English.