Sahitya Akademi winner Sarah Thomas Passes Away [UPSC Current Affairs]

Sahitya Akademi winner and Malayalam literature writer Sarah Thomas passed away on 31 March 2023. In this article, you can know more about the writer and also details about the Sahitya Akademi Award for the IAS exam.

Sarah Thomas

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• Sarah Thomas was a prolific writer who authored seventeen novels and over a hundred short stories.
• She was a two-time recipient of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi award, winning in 1979 for her novel ‘Narmadipudava’ and in 2010 for her overall contribution to Malayalam literature.
• Despite facing limitations as a girl growing up in a conservative household, Sarah Thomas pursued her passion for writing but had to wait until the age of 34 to get her first work published.
• Her most famous work, ‘Narmadipudava’, won critical acclaim for its portrayal of the struggles of a teenage widow, Kanakaambal, against the oppressive customs of her community.
• Sarah Thomas’s writing focused on relevant social issues such as discrimination against Dalits, and she did not want to be classified as a writer of any particular genre.
• Several of Sarah Thomas’s works were adapted into movies, including ‘Manimuzhakkam’ based on her novel ‘Murippadukal’, as well as ‘Asthamayam’, ‘Pavizhamuthu’, and ‘Archana’.
• Sarah Thomas’s other notable works include ‘Agnishudhi’, ‘Neelakurinjikal Chuvakkum Neram’, ‘Grahanam’, ‘Thanneerpanthal’, ‘Yathra’ and ‘Kaveri’.
• Sarah Thomas passed away at the age of 89, and her last rites were held at the St. Thomas Marthoma Syrian Church at Pattoor.

What are Sahitya Akademi Awards?

Sahitya Akademi Awards are literary awards given annually to outstanding works of literature in any of the 24 languages recognized by the Sahitya Academy in India. The awards were established in 1954 to recognize and promote excellence in Indian literature.

Categories and Criteria:

• The awards are given in various categories such as poetry, fiction, drama, essays, and translation.
• The works considered for the awards must be original, creative, and of significant literary merit.
• The works should also have been published in the last five years prior to the year of the award.

Selection Process:

• The selection of the awardees is done by a jury consisting of writers and scholars in the respective languages.
• The selection process is rigorous, and the jury members are expected to read all the works submitted for consideration.
• The awards are announced in December every year and are presented to the winners in a formal ceremony held the following February.

Significance:

• The Sahitya Academy Awards are considered among the most prestigious literary awards in India.
• Winning the award is a significant achievement and can bring wider recognition and readership for the author and their work.
• The awards also serve to promote and encourage literary creativity and excellence in the languages recognized by the Sahitya Academy.

Read more about the Sahitya Akademi Awards in the linked article.

Conclusion: Overall, the Sahitya Akademi Awards serve as an important platform for recognizing and promoting excellence in Indian literature, and have been a significant force in shaping the literary landscape of the country.

Sahitya Akademi winner Sarah Thomas:- Download PDF Here