Sangam city’s Neelum Saran Gour bags Sahitya Akademi award 2023
Well known English writer from Sangam city and a former professor in the English department of Allahabad University (AU) Neelum Saran Gour has won the prestigious Sahitya Akademi award-2023 for her novel ‘Requiem in Raga Janki’.
Well known English writer from Sangam city and a former professor in the English department of Allahabad University (AU) Neelum Saran Gour has won the prestigious Sahitya Akademi award-2023 for her novel ‘Requiem in Raga Janki’.
The winners of the 2023 Sahitya Akademi awards were announced late on Wednesday evening. The awards are given to writers in 24 Indian languages, including translations and this year, Neelum Saran Gour’s Requiem in Raga Janki won the award in the English language category.
The award, in the form of a casket containing an engraved copper plaque and cash prizes, will be presented to the awardees at a ceremony marking 70 years of the Sahitya Akademi in New Delhi on March 12. The winning authors will receive ₹1 lakh each.
“I am greatly humbled by the honour bestowed on me,” she said reacting to the announcement.
Gour has authored six novels, four short story collections and two books of non-fiction. She has also been a columnist and book reviewer, having reviewed books for The Times of the UK among others. She has also translated her work into Hindi. Her creative work has been published by Penguin, Harper Collins, Rupa and Marg Publications and her critical work has been published by Routledge, Sahitya Akademi, Pencraft and other prestigious publishing houses.
Many research articles on her work have appeared in the journals of foreign and Indian institutions as well. She has been on writers’ fellowships in England, Scotland and Spain and has read her work to audiences there.
Her most recent novel, ‘Requiem In Raga Janki’, based on the life of the famous Allahabad singer, Janki Bai, won the coveted Hindu Fiction Prize for 2018. Her major contribution is considered to be her exploration of the culture, history and character of the city of Allahabad (now Prayagraj). She taught English Literature at the University of Allahabad for 44 years. Presently, after retiring, she continues to work on her newest project, a novel.
“I am a home-grown Allahabadi and have been educated entirely in Allahabad. At the Allahabad University, I was a 3-Faculty topper in my BA and received 10 gold and silver medals including the Queen Empress Victoria medal for the first position holder in BA/BSc. I was appointed as a lecturer in English against a permanent position immediately after passing out. And gave up all thoughts of the Civil Services because I enjoyed the English Dept so much and wanted primarily to be a writer,” she shared.