Jnanpith Award 2018

Jnanpith Award 2018

Question: Who among the following has been conferred 2018 Jnanpith Award?
(a) Krisna Sobti
(b) Amitav Ghosh
(c) Chetana Divya
(d) Bhalchandra Nemade
Answer: (b)
Related facts:

  • Eminent path-breaking English novelist Amitav Ghosh has been conferred the 54th Jnanpith Award for the year 2018. He is the first English author to be awarded with the prestigious award.
  • Born in Calcutta in 1956, his first literary work was English fiction ‘The Circle of Reason’ which brought to him tremendous popularity. His other distinguished literary works are “The Shadow Lines, The Calcutta Chromosome, The Glass Palace, The Hungry Tide, and Sea of Poppies, River of Smoke, Flood of Fire”.
  • His novel The Shadow Lines won the Sahitya Akademi Award in year 1989 and he was shortlisted for Man Booker prize, 2008.
  • He was awarded Padma Shri in 2007 and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in year 2009.
  • About Jnanpith Award:
  • The Jnanpith Award is the foremost Indian literary award presented annually by the Bharatiya Jnanpith to an author for their “outstanding contribution towards literature”.
  • Instituted in 1961, the award has been presented for works in sixteen languages.
  • The award carries citation plaque, a cash prize of ₹11 and a bronze replica of Saraswati.
  • Malayalam writer G. Sankara Kurup was the first recipient of Jnanpith award in 1965 for his collection of poems, Odakkuzhal. Renowned Hindi writer and essayist Krisna Sobti was bestowed 2017 Jnanpith Award.

Links:
http://jnanpith.net/media_image/announcement/54th%20Jnanpith%20Award%20goes%20to%20Amitav%20Ghosh.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jnanpith_Award
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amitav_Ghosh