The Vyas Samman award, recognising outstanding literary works, has been conferred on Dr Narendra Kohli, a well-known Hindi writer for his novel Na Bhooto Na Bhavishyati for the year 2012.
The award instituted by the KK Birla Foundation is given to exceptional Hindi literary works of an Indian citizen published during the last 10 years and could belong to any genre of literary writing like poetry, plays, novels, short stories, critiques etc.
Na Bhooto Na Bhavishyati, published in 2004, is a historical novel that portrays Swami Vivekanand and the era he belongs to. It provides an account of the incredible impression that Swami cast on the history of the country.
Dr Kohli, a Ph.D in Hindi from University of Delhi is credited with reinvention of ancient form of epic writing in modern prose. Because of the impact of his body of works on Hindi literature, this era of contemporary modern Hindi literature is sometimes referred to as the ‘Kohli era’.
The award given from 1991 carries prize money of Rs. 2.5 lakh and is besides the Saraswati Samman that awards Rs. 7.5 lakh to outstanding literary works of any Indian language in the Schedule VIII of the Constitution.