Sahitya Akademi announced its annual Sahitya Akademi Awards in 21 languages on Wednesday. Eight books of poetry, three novels, two short story collections, three essays, three literary criticism, one play, and one work of research have won this year’s awards. Awards in Bengali, Dogri and Urdu will be announced later.

Kire’s novel, Spirit Nights, published by Simon and Schuster India, won the award in the English language category. The novel is inspired by a story of darkness narrated by the Chang Naga tribe of Nagaland. Names and incidents are borrowed from the original tale, but it follows the path of fiction to achieve its telling.

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The winning writers will receive a casket containing an engraved copper plaque, a shawl and a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh. The award ceremony will be held on March 8, 2025, in Delhi.

The other winners announced so far are:

  • Assamese: Pharingbore Bator Katha Jane (Poetry), Sameer Tanti

  • Bodo: Swrni Thakhai (Novel), Aron Raja

  • Gujarati: Bhagwan-ni Vato (Poetry), Dileep Jhaveri

  • Hindi: Main Jab Tak Aai Bahar (Poetry), Gagan Gill

  • Kannada: Nudigala Alivu (Literary criticism), KV Narayana

  • Kashmiri: Psychiatric Ward (Novel), Sohan Koul

  • Konkani: Rangtarang (Essays), Mukesh Thali

  • Maithili: Prabandh Sangrah (Essays), Mahendra Malangia

  • Malayalam: Pingalakeshini (Poetry), K Jayakumar

  • Manipuri: Mainu Bora Nungshi Sheirol (Poetry), Haobam Satyabati Devi

  • Marathi: Vindanche Gadyaroop (Criticism), Sudhir Rasal

  • Nepali: Chhichimira (Short stories), Yuva Baral

  • Odia: Bhuti Bhakti Bibhuti (Essays), Baishnab Charan Samal

  • Punjabi: Sun Gunvanta Sun Budhivanta: Itihaasnama Punjab (Poetry), Paul Kaur

  • Rajasthani: Gaon Ar Amma (Poetry), Mukut Maniraj

  • Sanskrit: Bhaskaracaritam (Poetry), Dipak Kumar Sharma

  • Santali: Seched Sawnta Ren Andha Manmi (Play), Maheswar Soren

  • Sindhi: Purzo (Short stories), Hundraj Balwani

  • Tamil: Tirunelveli Ezucciyum Vaa Vuu ci Yum 1908 (Research), AR Venkatachalapathy

  • Telugu: Deepika (Criticism), Penugonda Lakshminarayana

Easterine Kire’s novel, Spirit Nights, published by Simon and Schuster India, won the award in the English language category.