Kashinath Singh honored with Lifetime Achievement Award at Banaras Lit Fest; Radha Vallabh Tripathi, Raj Kamal Jha, Jeet Thayil, and more among 2025 winners

The winning books this year reflect the richness and diversity of Indian literature, exploring themes such as identity, history, language, and modern-day challenges with remarkable depth and insight.

Winners of the Banaras Lit Fest Book Awards 2025: 

Kabir Award for Poetry (Hindi)
आत्मद्रोह – आर. चेतनक्रांति (राजकमल प्रकाशन)

Rahul Sankrityayan Award for Non-Fiction (Hindi)
गार्जियनता – व्योमेश शुक्ल (रुख़ पब्लिकेशन)

Premchand Award for Fiction (Hindi)
आउशवित्ज: एक प्रेम कथा – गरिमा श्रीवास्तव (वाणी प्रकाशन)

Mahadevi Verma Award for Translation (Hindi)
नये भारत की दीमक लगी शहतीरें – परकाला प्रभाकर (अनुवाद: व्यालोक पाठक, राजकमल प्रकाशन)

Sarojini Naidu Award for Poetry (English)
I’ll Have It Here: Poems – Jeet Thayil (HarperCollins)

Ruskin Bond Award for Fiction (English)
The Patient in Bed Number 12 – Raj Kamal Jha (Penguin)

Rabindranath Tagore Award for Translation
The Keeper of Desolation: Stories – Chandan Pandey (Translated by Sayari Debnath, HarperCollins)

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Award for Non-Fiction
Tipu Sultan: The Saga of Mysore’s Interregnum (1760-1799) – Vikram Sampath (Vintage Books)

Congratulating the winners, Deepak Madhok, President of Banaras Lit Fest, said, ‘The Banaras Lit Fest Book Awards stand as a beacon of literary brilliance, recognizing works that challenge, transform, and elevate the literary discourse of our times. The winners this year have not only showcased exceptional storytelling and scholarly rigor but have also illuminated the vast and vibrant landscape of Indian literature. We are honoured to celebrate their extraordinary contributions.”

The Founder and Secretary of the Banaras Lit Fest, Brijesh Singh, also extended his best wishes to the winners. “We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the winners, whose literary excellence has set new benchmarks. Their works represent the finest in contemporary writing, reflecting deep intellectual and artistic commitment.”

Congratulating the jury, Singh added, “We are also profoundly grateful to our esteemed jury, led by eminent scholar Prof. Jatin Nayak, alongside Prof. Banibrata Mahanta, Dr. Priti Choudhary, Dr. Lalit Kumar, and Dr. Pravin Kumar, for their rigorous and dedicated selection process. The inception of this award was envisioned by our esteemed team member Ashutosh Kumar Thakur, and today, it stands as a proof to our commitment to literature and culture,”

In addition to the book awards, the Banaras Lit Fest will bestow the following special honours:

Bhartendu Harishchandra Lifetime Achievement Award (Rs 1,00,000)
Kashinath Singh, eminent Hindi writer

Banaras Lit Fest Kalidas Award for Scheduled Indian Language (Rs 51,000)
Radha Vallabh Tripathi – Eminent Writer 

The Gomati Devi Eminence Awards will be presented in seven distinguished categories, with the Lifetime Achievement Award being conferred upon Dr. Dharmendra Jain.

Gomati Devi Eminence Award in Seven Categories (Rs 21,000 each Lifetime Achievement Award Rs 51,000)

1. S. Pranam Singh – Education, Literature, Fine Arts, and Culture
2. (Prof) Sanjay Rai – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Medicine (STEM) (AIIMS, Delhi)
3. Archana Garodia – Business and Entrepreneurship (Chairman, Touch Stone)
4. R. Tiwari – Public Service and Social Work
5. Sanjeev Kumar – Sports, Yoga, and Healthy Living
6. GAIL – Organization contributing to the empowerment of women, differently-abled, and marginalized communities
7. Dharmendra Jain – Professor of Cardiology, IMS BHU (Gomati Devi Lifetime Achievement Award)

The Nav Bharat Sarjak Samman awards, in eleven categories (Rs 11,000 each), will be announced on February 28, 2025, and presented on March 9, 2025.

These awards honor individuals who have made significant contributions to Indian literature, promoting linguistic and cultural diversity through their work.

The Banaras Lit Fest will host its grand event from March 7 to 9, 2025 as it stays committed to promoting literary excellence and intellectual engagement. The awards aim to celebrate literary excellence that pushes boundaries, sparks contemplation, and enhances the cultural richness of our society.