AuthorAmitav
Ghoshwas conferred the54th Jnanpith Award.He
was awarded for his contribution to theenrichment
of Indian literature in Englishat a ceremony. The award
was presented by the former governor ofWest Bengal Gopalkrishna Gandhiin
New Delhi on 13 June. Amitav Ghosh is thefirst
English writerto get this prestigious Jnanpith
Award
Amitav
Ghosh:
Amitav Ghosh is anIndian writer.He
is best known for his work in English fiction. In 2007, the government of India
awarded him the civilianhonour
of Padma Shri.He also received the Israeli Dan David
Prize,together
with Margaret Atwood.
His
works and awards:
His book,The Circle of Reasonwon thePrix Médicis étrangerwhich
is France’s top literary awards.
His work‘The Calcutta Chromosome’won
theArthur C.
Clarke Award for 1997.
Also, his work‘Sea of Poppies’was
shortlisted for the2008
Man Booker Prize.
The book‘River
of Smoke’was shortlisted for theMan Asian Literary Prize 2011.
Jnanpith Award:
TheJnanpith
Awardis anIndian
literary award.It was instituted in1961.The
award was sponsored byBharatiya
Jnanpith, a literary research organization. It is presented
annually by the Bharatiya Jnanpith to an author for their outstanding
contribution towards literature. The award is bestowed only onIndian writerswho
writes in Indian languages that are included in theEighth Schedule to the
Constitutionof India and English, with no posthumous
conferral.
G.
Sankara Kurupwas the first
who received theaward
in 1965.The award consists of a citation plaque, a cash
prize of Rs.12 lakh (around), and a bronze replica of Saraswati, the Hindu
goddess of knowledge and wisdom
