Eminent Gujarati novelist, poet and critic Raghuveer Chaudhary has been chosen for the prestigious Jnanpith Award for 2015. His nomination was decided at a meeting of the Jnanpith selection board chaired by writer and scholar Namwar Singh.
Instituted in 1961, the award recognises Indian littérateurs who write in one of the 22 Indian languages listed in Schedule Eight of the Indian Constitution.
Author of more than 80 books, Chaudhary had began his writing career with novels and poetry, and later ventured into other forms of literature, including plays, essays and short stories. Born in 1938 in Gandhinagar, the writer is a Gandhian and his works are largely influenced by literary figures like Govardhanram Tripathi, Kaka Kalelkar, Suresh Joshi, Ramdarash Mishra and G N Dickey.
A prominent figure in the contemporary Gujarati literary scene, Chaudhary’s faith in the functional aspect of human life is voiced through his novels “Amrita,” “Venu Vatsala” and the “Uparvas” trilogy. While his essays are a combination of microscopic observations concerning the art of creative writing and a vivid presentation of thought, tinged with a sense of humour, his poetry has been widely appreciated for its profundity of thought and the meaningful use of images and symbols.
He has also received the Sahitya Akademi award for his novel trilogy “Uparvas” in 1977, besides winning other honours, including Kumar Chandrak for poetry, Uma-Sneharashmi Prize and Ranjitram Gold Medal for creative writing and Sauhard Samman from Uttar Pradesh Sansthaan. The recipients of the award are given a cash prize, a citation plaque and a bronze replica of Goddess Saraswati.
