New Delhi, July 24, 2024
The Banaras Lit Fest has called for nominations for the First BLF Book Awards 2025, an initiative which aims to celebrate and recognise literary excellence in fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and translation across Hindi, English, and other Indian languages.
To be judged by juries comprising literary figures, critics, and scholars, the winners will receive a cash prize of Rs 51000 in each category along with a trophy and promotional support.
Different awards for excellence in Hindi have been announced, including Kabir Award for Poetry, Premchand Award for Fiction, Mahadevi Verma Award for Translation, and Rahul Sankrityayan Award for Non-Fiction.
The English category will consist of Sarojini Naidu Award for Poetry, Ruskin Bond Award for Fiction, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Award for Non-Fiction, and Rabindranath Tagore Award for Translation.
Besides these, the Banaras Lit Fest Kalidas Award for Scheduled Indian Language amounting to Rs 51,000, and Bhartendu Harishchandra Lifetime Achievement Award of Rs 1 Lakh have also been announced.
Submissions for the BLF Book Awards 2025 will be accepted in both Hindi and English, for which books published between January 2023 and December 2024 are eligible.
The submission dates are from August 1 to December 31.
The shortlisted books will be announced in January 2025, while the final winners will be declared in February 2025 at the Banaras Lit Fest.
Not just publishers, authors can also send individual entries of their works.
Deepak Madhok, President of Banaras Lit Fest, said, “Recognising and strengthening languages is one of the key aims of the BLF Book Awards.
We hope to identify and celebrate authors with exceptional bodies of work, enabling readers across India to experience the best of Indian literature. By showcasing these literary gems, we strive to preserve and promote the rich cultural heritage of our nation.”
Brijesh Singh, Secretary, Banaras Lit Fest, added, “Inviting self-nominations is an excellent idea. It makes the award process democratic, transparent, and inclusive. By allowing authors to submit their own work, we ensure that all voices have an equal opportunity to be heard and celebrated.”(Agency)
