Odisha institutes an award for creative writing in English by Odia writers in memory of Manoj Das

Published : May 05, 2021 13:36 IST

 Manoj Das.

Manoj Das.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has instituted an international award in memory of the eminent litterateur Manoj Das who passed away in Puducherry on April 27.

The Manoj Das International Literary Award will be given for creative writing in English by an Odia writer. The award, with a prize money of Rs.10 lakh, will be given every year, Patnaik announced on May 4.

The Chief Minister also instituted another award, the Manoj Kishor Sahitya Pratibha Samman, which will be given every year to create interest among youth for literature. The award will be given at the high school level for original creative writing in Odia and English. The prize money will be Rs.1 lakh each. Manoj Das was one of the foremost bilingual writers of the country.

As per the suggestion of the late writer’s family members, the State government will take over his ancestral house in Shankhari village in Balasore district and convert it into a memorial for Manoj Das and his brother, the eminent historian Manmath Nath Das.

Patnaik said that a library will also be set up at the memorial, with books on history and literature written by Manmath Nath Das and Manoj Das. A temple in the premises of the house will also be conserved.

Special issues of Utkal Prasanga and Odisha Review , published by the State government’s Information & Public Relations Department and Konark magazine, published by Odisha Sahitya Akademi, will be published in memory of Manoj Das.

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