The prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award, considered the highest national literary honor for Indian Nepali writers, has been awarded this year to story writer Yuwa Baral (Ananta) for his short story collection Chichimira.
Born in Pakyong, Sikkim, Baral is a graduate of North Bengal University and currently serves in the Power Department of the Sikkim government. He is well-versed in English and Hindi and has published three short story collections and one poetry collection. His work Chichimira is regarded as an outstanding microfiction collection in the Nepali language.
On March 8, 2025, Baral was honored alongside writers from 24 Indian languages at the Sahityotsav event held at Kamani Auditorium, New Delhi. He received a ceremonial shawl, a memento, and a cash prize.
While accepting the award, Baral expressed his commitment to contributing to the enrichment of Nepali literature.
Among this year’s award recipients, the youngest was Maheshwar Soren, a Santali-language writer.
The event was graced by Sahitya Akademi President Madhav Kaushik, Secretary K. Srinivas Rao, and Chief Guest Mahesh Dattani.
