1. British writer Michael Rosen honored with Pen Pinter Prize, 2023
Tags: Awards
Renowned British poet and author Michael Rosen has been awarded the prestigious PEN Pinter Prize, 2023 for his literary contribution.
An Overview of the news:-
- Michael Rosen is known for making poetry accessible to children through his work and performances.
- The subjects of Rosen's writings are often social, political, and moral.
Pen Pinter Award:
- It was established in the year 2009 by PEN Institute of UK.
- It is the founding center of a global literary network.
- This institution promotes literature and human rights.
- It is awarded annually to a writer living in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Commonwealth or a former Commonwealth.
- The winner must be an author of plays, poems, essays or fiction of literary excellence written in English.
- Lemon Sissey, Hanif Qureshi, Mallory Blackman etc. are the main ones among the former recipients of this award.
2. Rajinder Singh Dhatt honoured with Points of Light Award
Tags: Awards
101-year-old man Rajinder Singh Dhatt was awarded the Points of Light award by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
An Overview of the News
The award ceremony took place during the UK-India Week reception at 10 Downing Street.
Rajinder Singh Dhatt was recognized for his outstanding service and unwavering commitment to uniting veterans of the British Indian War.
He played an important role as the driving force behind the "Undivided Indian Ex-Servicemen Association".
Rajinder Singh Dhatt served in the British Indian Army during World War II, which highlights his devotion to his country.
About United Kingdom:
It is an island nation located in northwestern Europe. It consists of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Capital - London
Prime Minister - Rishi Sunak
Emperor - Charles III
3. Priya A.S. Received Sahitya Akademi Children's Literature Award 2023
Tags: Awards
Priya A.S. Received the Sahitya Akademi Children's Literature Award 2023 in the Malayalam language for his novel "Perumazhayathe Kunjithalukal" (The Children Who Were Never Withered).
An Overview of the News
This prestigious award recognizes the talent and creativity of Priya A. S. in the field of children's literature.
In 2020, Priya A. S. also won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Children's Literature for the same novel, "Perumazhayathe Kunjithalukal".
The Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2023 reaffirms Priya A. S.'s ability to connect with young readers and inspire a love of reading and storytelling.
About the novel "Perumazhayathe Kunjithalukal"
Priya A. S.'s novel "Perumazhayathe Kunjithalukal" has received recognition and acclaim since its publication in 2018.
The novel takes inspiration from the devastating floods in Kerala in 2018.
Priya AS worked in the relief camps set up by the Department of Instrumentation of Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) in Kochi during the floods.
Awards: Sahitya Akademi Translation Award (2014)
Priya A. S. received the Sahitya Akademi Translation Award in 2014.
The award was given for the Malayalam translation of Arundhati Roy's novel "The God of Small Things".
"The God of Small Things" is a Booker Prize winning novel.
About Sahitya Akademi Children's Literature Award
Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar is a prestigious literary award.
It is awarded by the Sahitya Akademi in recognition of excellence in children's literature.
The award carries a cash prize of Rs 50,000 and an engraved copper plaque.
A three-member panel is responsible for selecting the winners in each language.
For Malayalam, the jury members were Dr. Paul Manalil, BS Rajeev and Mundoor Sethumadhavan.
The winner is selected from among ten recommended books considered for the award.
4. Alappuzha doctor K Venugopal selected for IMA award
Tags: Awards Person in news
Dr K Venugopal, a doctor at Alappuzha's General Hospital, has been honored by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) for his contribution to the medical field.
An Overview of the News
The award was instituted by the IMA on the occasion of National Doctor's Day.
Dr K Venugopal has been selected for the award in the category of community service.
He is Chief Consultant in Respiratory Medicine at General Hospital, Alappuzha (city in Kerala).
The award ceremony will be held on July 1, 2023 at the IMA Headquarters in New Delhi.
About National Doctor's Day
National Doctor's Day has been celebrated on 1st July in India for the last 32 years.
It is celebrated in the honour of Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, a renowned physician, politician, freedom fighter and education advocate.
The theme for National Doctor's Day 2022 was "Family Doctors on the Front Line".
Indian Medical Association:
Establishment - 1928
Headquarters - New Delhi
President - Sahajanand Prasad Singh
5. PM Modi conferred Egypt’s highest state honour
Tags: International Relations Awards International News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was awarded the 'Order of the Nile,' Egypt's highest honor, by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during a ceremony at the Presidential palace in Cairo on 25th June.
An overview of the news
The 'Order of the Nile' was established in 1915 and is bestowed upon heads of states, crown princes, and vice presidents who have rendered invaluable services to Egypt or humanity.
This is the 13th highest state honor conferred upon Prime Minister Modi.
During the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Egypt in 26 years, India and Egypt elevated their relationship to a 'Strategic Partnership' following extensive discussions between Modi and El-Sisi.
Political and security cooperation
The talks focused on enhancing political and security cooperation.
Modi and El-Sisi signed a strategic partnership document, which encompassed various areas of collaboration such as political and security cooperation, defense collaboration, trade and investment ties, scientific and academic exchanges, and strengthening people-to-people contacts.
The two countries signed three more pacts covering agriculture and allied sectors, protection and preservation of monuments and archaeological sites, and competition law.
Modi and El-Sisi also discussed further cooperation within the G-20 framework, emphasizing issues such as food and energy insecurity, climate change, and the need for the Global South to have a unified voice.
Modi extended an invitation to El-Sisi to attend the G-20 Summit in New Delhi in September.
Egypt's historic Al-Hakim Mosque
Before returning to India, Modi visited Egypt's historic Al-Hakim Mosque in Cairo, which dates back to the 11th century.
The mosque has been restored with the assistance of India's Dawoodi Bohra community.
Modi admired the intricate carved inscriptions on the walls and doorways of the mosque, which was constructed in 1012.
Al-Hakim Mosque is the fourth oldest mosque in Cairo and the second Fatimid mosque built in the city.
About Egypt
Egypt is a country located in North Africa.
Egypt is home to famous monuments such as the Giza Pyramid Complex. One of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Pyramids of Giza are located on the banks of the Nile River. The Great Pyramid of Giza was built in 2560 BC.
Capital - Cairo
President – Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
Currency - Egyptian pound
6. Sahitya Akademi announces winners of Bal Sahitya Puraskar
Tags: Awards
The Sahitya Akademi has announced the recipients of the Bal Sahitya Puraskar and Yuva Puraskar for this year.
An overview of the news
The announcement was made at a meeting of the Sahitya Akademi's Executive Board, chaired by President Madhav Kaushik.
The winners of both awards will receive an engraved copper plaque and a cheque of Rs 50,000 each at a ceremony to be held later.
Sudha Murty, a renowned children's author, has been selected for the Bal Sahitya Puraskar for her collection of stories titled 'Grandparents' Bag of Stories'.
Suryanath Singh has been chosen for the Hindi language category of the Bal Sahitya Puraskar for his collection of short stories called 'Kotuk App'.
Anirudh Kanisetti will receive the Yuva Puraskar for his work 'Lords Of The Deccan: Southern India From Chalukyas To Cholas', while Atul Kumar Rai will be awarded in the Hindi language category for his novel 'Chandpur ki Chanda'.
The recipients for Manipuri, Maithili, and Sanskrit categories of Yuva Puraskar, as well as the Bal Sahitya Puraskar for Manipuri, will be announced later.
No Yuva Puraskar winner was announced for Odia, and no Bal Sahitya Puraskar winner was announced for Kashmiri.
Winners of the Bal Sahitya Puraskar
The remaining winners of the Bal Sahitya Puraskar are listed as Rothindranath Goswami (Assamese), Shyamalkanti Das (Bengali), Pratima Nandi Narzaree (Bodo), Balwan Singh Jamoria (Dogri), Rakshabahen Prahladrao Dave (Gujarati), Vijayashree Haladi (Kannada), Tukaram Rama Shet (Konkani), Akshay Anand 'Sunny' (Maithili), Priya AS (Malayalam), Eknath Avhad (Marathi), Madhusudan Bisht (Nepali), Jugal Kishore Sarangi (Odia), Gurmeet Karyalvi (Punjabi), Kiran Badal (Rajasthani), Radhavallabh Tripathi (Sanskrit), Mansing Majhi (Santali), Dholan Rahi (Sindhi), Udhayasankar (Tamil), DK Chaduvula Babu (Telugu), and Mateen Achalpuri.
Winners of Yuva Puraskar
The other recipients of the Yuva Puraskar include Jintu Gitartha (Assamese), Hamiruddin Middya (Bengali), Mainaosri Daimary (Bodo), Sagar Shah (Gujarati), Manjunayak Challur (Kannada), Nighat Nasreen (Kashmiri), Tanvi Kamat Bambolkar (Konkani), Ganesh Puthu (Malayalam), Vishakha Vishwanath (Marathi), Naina Adhikari (Nepali), Sandeep (Punjabi), Devilal Mahiya (Rajasthani), Bapi Tudu (Santali), Monika J Panjwani (Sindhi), Ram Thangam (Tamil), Johny Takkedasila (Telugu), Dheeraj Bismil (Dogri), and Tauseef Bareilvi for Urdu.
7. WHO Director General Tedros Ghebreyesus awarded Olympic Order by IOC
Tags: Awards
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) awarded the Olympic Order to Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO).
An Overview of the News
The award was given to Dr. Tedros for his efforts in holding the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Olympic Order was presented by IOC President Thomas Bach at the Olympic House.
Dr. Tedros has been invited by President Bach to be the Guest of Honor at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
The award recognizes Dr. Tedros' support in promoting cooperation between the IOC and WHO, in particular the Cooperation Agreement signed in 2020.
The IOC and WHO have collaborated on various initiatives, including the Let's Move campaign for Olympic Day.
About the Let's Move campaign
It stresses the importance of physical activity and regular exercise.
It highlights the benefits associated with regular exercise, such as improved physical fitness and mental health.
The campaign is in line with the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Olympism365 strategy, which aims to increase access to sporting opportunities.
The Let's Move campaign supports the IOC's aim of increasing access to sport for people of all ages and backgrounds.
President Bach's special tribute to WHO:
President Bach presented the Olympic Cup in 2021 as a special honor to the WHO.
The award recognizes WHO's extraordinary efforts and important role in the success of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.
The cooperation between the IOC and WHO emphasizes the importance of sport for physical and mental well-being.
The Olympic Cup was established in 1906 by Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the IOC.
It is the highest honor an organization can receive for promoting the ideals of the Olympic Movement.
International Olympic Committee:
Founded - 23 June 1894, Paris, France
Founders - Pierre de Coubertin and D. Bikélas
Headquarters - Lausanne, Switzerland
President - Thomas Bach
Director General - Christophe De Kepper
8. Salman Rushdie wins German Book Trade 2023 Peace Prize
Tags: Awards
The Peace Prize of the German Book Trade for 2023 has been awarded to British-American author Salman Rushdie.
An Overview of the News
Birth and Background: Salman Rushdie was born on June 19, 1947 in Bombay (now Mumbai), India.
The Satanic Verses: Rushdie achieved international recognition through his controversial 1988 novel, The Satanic Verses.
Inspiration and controversy: The novel attracted widespread attention and generated significant controversy in Muslim society for its portrayal inspired by the life of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
Fatwa issued: Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issues a fatwa against Salman Rushdie because of the publication of The Satanic Verses.
History of the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade
It was established in 1950 and the award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the promotion of international understanding between nations and cultures through their literary works.
The prize is endowed with €25,000 ($27,300).
The award ceremony takes place in October during the Frankfurt Book Fair, one of the largest and most important book fairs in the world.
The purpose of the award is to encourage efforts to promote peace, dialogue and cooperation.
Past recipients of the award include Margaret Atwood, Orhan Pamuk, Susan Sontag, Amos Oz, and Vaclav Havel.
Last year, the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade was awarded to Ukrainian author Serhiy Zhadan.
List of famous books by Salman Rushdie:
Midnight's Children
Shame
The Satanic Verses
fury
Shalimar The Clown
The Golden House
Quichotte
Victory City
9. Acharya Gopi to be conferred with first Prof. Jayashankar Award
Tags: Awards
Acharya N. Gopi, a renowned poet and literary critic, has been selected as the recipient of the prestigious Prof. Kothapalli Jayashankar Award.
An overview of the news
This award is instituted by Bharat Jagruthi, a cultural organization affiliated with Bharat Rashtra Samithi, and aims to honor accomplished literary figures.
Acharya Gopi's felicitation ceremony was held on 21 June at the Telangana Saraswat Parishad in Abids to remember his contribution to literature.
Acharya Gopi's Literary Accomplishments
Acharya Gopi has an impressive literary career with a total of 56 books to his name.
His works encompass various genres, including 26 collections of poems, 7 compilations of essays, 5 translations, and 3 research books.
Acharya Gopi's literary works have garnered widespread acclaim, leading to translations into several Indian languages, as well as foreign languages such as German, Persian, and Russian. This showcases the global recognition of his writings.
About Prof. Kothapalli Jayashankar
Prof. Kothapalli Jayashankar, popularly known as Professor Jayashankar, was an Indian academic and social activist.
He played a crucial role as an ideologue in the Telangana Movement, advocating for a separate state.
Prof. Jayashankar actively fought for a separate state for Telangana, starting from 1952.
He was a key figure in raising awareness about the socio-political issues faced by the region and advocating for its separate identity.
Prof. Jayashankar served as the former Vice-Chancellor of Kakatiya University and remained an activist throughout his career, dedicated to the cause of the Separate Telangana Movement.
10. Arundhati Roy receives European Essay Prize
Tags: Awards
Arundhati Roy received the 45th European Essay Prize for Lifetime Achievement and the award is presented by the Charles Whelan Foundation.
An Overview of the News
Arundhati Roy's book of essays, 'Azadi' (2021), especially the French translation, received acclaim.
'Azaadi' explores the concept of freedom in an increasingly totalitarian world, with an emphasis on fiction and alternative imaginations.
Roy is known for his notable works, including the Booker Prize-winning novel The God of Small Things.
The award ceremony will be held on September 12 in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Past recipients of the European Essay Prize include Alexander Zinoviev, Amin Malouf and Siri Hustvedt.
European Essay Prize:
It is the first literary award dedicated solely to the genre of the essay.
The award recognizes outstanding essays that criticise current societies, their practices and ideologies.
It has been awarded since 1975 highlighting its long standing presence in the literary scene.
Award-winning essays shed light on social norms, political structures, cultural practices, and socioeconomic challenges.
