Two Marathi authors receive Sahitya Akademi awards

Suresh Sawant received children’s literature award for his poetry collection ‘Abhalmaya’ and Pradeep Kokare was awarded Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar for novel ‘Khol Khol Dhushkali Dole’

Pune: Two Marathi authors have been honoured with Sahitya Akademi awards this year. Suresh Sawant received children’s literature award for his poetry collection “Abhalmaya”, while young writer Pradeep Kokare was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar for his novel “Khol Khol Dhushkali Dole”.

Suresh Sawant received children’s literature award for his poetry collection ‘Abhalmaya’ and Pradeep Kokare was awarded Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar for novel ‘Khol Khol Dhushkali Dole’. (Shutterstock (PIC FOR REPRESENTATION))

The Sahitya Akademi on Wednesday announced the “children’s literature award” in 24 languages and the “yuva puraskar” in 23 languages.

Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said, “Pradeep Kokare is a realist writer whose literature reflects the lives of the poor, the unemployed, and the marginalised and neglected sections of society. His writing directly engages with social issues The national award is not only a recognition of his work, but also a matter of pride for the Marathi literary community.”

Suresh Sawant is a senior Marathi children’s writer and poet. His works is marked by a simple, heartfelt language easily understood by children. “Abhalmaya” is centred around themes such as nature, the sky, dreams, and the emotional world of childhood.

Kokare said, “My novel is based on the identity crisis and the questions faced by today’s youth. The protagonist comes from a small village to Mumbai for his education and faces challenges that questions his own existence. His thoughts emerge in a lyrical form throughout the novel. I completed this work on the Yashwantrao Chavan Centre Fellowship received in 2022. While literary meets are organised, real issues faced by youth are not being discussed.”