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Sahitya Akademi announces 2025 winners: Navtej Sarna, Mamta Kalia, and Sa Tamilselvan among 24 awardees
Eight Sahitya Akademi winners were recognised in poetry, six in short fiction, four in the novel, two in the essay form, one each in literary criticism and autobiography, and two in memoir.
The Sahitya Akademi trophy.
The Sahitya Akademi announced its 2025 annual awards on Monday, ending an unusual three-month suspension that had drawn attention to the relationship between India’s premier literary institution and the Union Ministry of Culture.
Twenty-four winners were named across the languages recognised by the Akademi, including eight in poetry, six in short fiction, four in the novel, two in the essay form, one each in literary criticism and autobiography, and two in memoir.
Among the more prominent recipients is former diplomat Navtej Sarna, honoured in English for his novel Crimson Spring. Hindi writer Mamta Kalia received the award for her memoir Jeete Jee Allahabad, and Tamil scholar Sa Tamilselvan was recognised in the literary criticism category for Thamiz Sirukathaiyyin Thadangal.
The full list spans the country’s linguistic breadth:
| Language | Title and Genre | Name of the Author |
|---|---|---|
| Assamese | Karhi Khelar Sadhu (Novel) | Devabrat Das |
| Bengali | Shrestha Kabita (Poetry) | Prasun Bandyopadhyay |
| Bodo | Dwngnwi Lama Mwnse Gathwn (Novel) | Sahaisuli Brahma |
| Dogri | Thakur Satsayie (Poetry, Couplets) | Khajur Singh Thakur |
| English | Crimson Spring (Novel) | Navtej Sarna |
| Gujarati | Bhattkhadaki (Poetry) | Yogesh Vaidya |
| Hindi | Jeete Jee Allahabad (Memoir) | Mamta Kalia |
| Kannada | Dada Seerisu Tande (Short Stories) | Amaresh Nugadoni |
| Kashmiri | Najdavanek’y Pot Aalav (Poetry) | Ali Shaida |
| Konkani | Konkani Kavyem: Rupani Ani Rupakam (Essays) | Henry Mendonca (H.M. Pernal) |
| Maithili | Dhatri Paat San Gaam (Memoir) | Mahendra |
| Malayalam | Maayaamanushyar (Novel) | N. Prabhakaran |
| Manipuri | Kanglamdriba Eephut (Short Stories) | Haobam Nalini |
| Marathi | Kalyanilya Resha (Autobiography) | Raju Baviskar |
| Nepali | Nepali Paramparik Sanskriti Ra Sabhyata Ko Dukuti (Essays) | Prakash Bhattarai |
| Odia | Padapurana (Poetry) | Girijakumar Baliyar Singh |
| Punjabi | Safety Kit (Stories) | Jinder |
| Rajasthani | Bharkhama (Stories) | Jitender Kumar Soni |
| Sanskrit | Prasthanacatustaye Brahmaghosah (Poetry) | Mahamahopadhyaya Sadhu Bhadreshdas |
| Santali | Mid Birna Chenne Saon Inag Sagai (Short Stories) | Sumitra Soren |
| Sindhi | Waghoo (Stories) | Bhagwan Atlani |
| Tamil | Thamiz Sirukathaiyin Thadangal (Literary Criticism) | Sa. Tamilselvan |
| Telugu | Animesha (Poetry) | Nandini Sidha Reddy |
| Urdu | Safar Jaari Hai (Poetry) | Pritpal Singh Betab |
Winners will be presented with an engraved copper plaque, a shawl, and ₹1 lakh at a ceremony scheduled for March 31.
The announcement closes a chapter that began on December 18, 2025, when the Akademi abruptly cancelled its awards press conference following a last-minute directive from the Culture Ministry. Monday’s announcement, approved by the Akademi’s Competent Authority on the recommendation of jury members, suggests that the impasse has been resolved.
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