Acclaimed writer Namita Gokhale, a Sahitya Akademi Awardee, author of 21 books, and co- founder and co-director of the Jaipur Literature Festival, will be awarded the Niliamarani Sahitya Samman for 2023.
The award has been instituted by Iti Rani Samanta , well known writer, film producer and publisher of the iconic Odia magazine, Kadambini, and her brother Achyuta Samanta, educationist, philanthropist and founder of KIIT and KISS institutions, in the memory of their mother Nilimarani Samanta.
Namita Gokhale said, “It is an honor to receive a literary award instituted by persons of such integrity and commitment. I respect their unwavering belief in excellence and equity.”
Iti Rani Samanta said, “Our mother nurtured and educated us against all odds and instilled a sense of values that have never failed us. This award is to honor all that she believed in.”
Kadambini, one of India’s largest regional magazines with a readership of over 31 lakh, has crafted itself into the imagination of both intellectuals and common folks. The Kadambini literary festival since its inception has brought thousands of writers, intellectuals, poets, cultural enthusiasts and famous literary personalities to one platform for interaction and deliberation.Â
It is in this festival that Kadambini developed an indigenous idea of ‘Patrika Haat’- a single day display of all magazines published in Odia that makes it a confluence of the entire spectrum of Odia literature. The only aim was to provide a platform for all magazines to showcase themselves and market themselves. Kadambini’s single ambition has always been to get the rich Odia literature and culture a platform to flaunt its grandiloquent depths.
The prize has prize money of Rs five lakh, a silver emblem and a citation.
