Vinod Kumar Shukla to get Jnanpith Award

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Famous Hindi writer Vinod Kumar Shukla will be awarded the 59th Jnanpith Award for the year 2024.
- This is the first time that a writer from Chhattisgarh is getting this highest literary honor.

Writer Vinod Kumar Shukla:

Born on 1 January 1937 in Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh, Vinod Kumar Shukla has been active in literary creation for the last 50 years.
His first collection of poems 'Abhiksh Jaihind' was published in 1971.
His major novels include 'Naukar Ki Kameez', 'Khilega To Dekhenge' and 'Deewar Me Ek Khidki Rahti Thi'.
Famous filmmaker Mani Kaul also made a film with the same name on 'Naukar Ki Kameez'.
Shukla's writing style is defined as 'magical realism', which expresses the deep sensibilities of ordinary life.
His works have been translated into many Indian and foreign languages, including English, German, Italian, Marathi and Malayalam.
He has previously been awarded many prestigious awards-
- Sahitya Akademi Award
- Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh Fellowship
- Raza Award
- Matribhoomi Book of the Year Award
- PEN America Nabokov Award; etc.

Jnanpith Award is India's highest literary honor, given for outstanding literary creation in Indian languages.
It is given by the Bharatiya Jnanpith Trust, founded by literature lover industrialist Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain and his wife Rameshwari Devi Jain.
Key Features:
- Established: 1961
- First award: Given to Malayalam writer G. Sankara Kurup in 1965
- Cash prize: Rs 11 lakh
- Other honours: Bronze statue of Vagdevi (Saraswati) and citation
- Languages: It is given in 22 languages included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution as well as in English.