ACADEMY ANNOUNCES BEST BOOK AWARD-2011 IN 7 LANGUAGES

Jammu, Feb 08 (Only Kashmir):  The Jammu & Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture & Languages has announced the Best Book Award -2011 in seven languages carrying award money of Rs. 51,000 each.

The awards, instituted to encourage quality literature, will be given away at a specially held function later.

Announcing this, Secretary J&K Academy of Art, Culture & Languages, Khalid Bashir Ahmad Friday said that books in seven languages including Dogri, English, Hindi, Kashmiri, Ladakhi, Punjabi and Urdu have been awarded. He said no book in Pahari, Dardi and Gojri could be awarded as the minimum number of three books each in these languages was not received for the competition.

Khalid said the Best Book Award -2011 in Dogri has gone to Trifla by Narsingh Dev Jamwal, in English to The Reflection of Ladakh, Tibet & Central Asia by Abdul Gani Sheikh, in Hindi to Kishtwar - Sanskriti aur Parampara by Shiv Nirmohi, in Kashmiri to Yath Angnas Manz by Makhan Lal Kanwal, in Ladakhi to Nubray Nas Shad by Urgain Rigzin, in Punjabi to Jammu Kashmir De Punjabi Geetan Vich Samkaleen Samaj Di Jhalak by Dr. Sushil Sharma and in Urdu to Kitabul Mosiqui by Mohammad Amin Lala.

Besides the award money, the winners will also be presented memento, citation and a shawl, the Secretary said.

Giving details, Khalid said that the maximum number of 28 books was received for competition in Kashmiri language, followed by 20 in Urdu, 19 in Dogri, 13 in English, 10 in Hindi, 9 in Punjabi and 3 in Ladakhi. He said only 2 books were received in Gojri language and 1 each in Pahari and Dardi.

As per Rules of the Academy, the books in each language were sent for adjudication to a set of three experts, from the Central Committee approved panel of adjudicators. The books for the award were selected on the basis of their evaluation. In case of difference of opinion of the three experts, the cumulative marks assigned to a book by them were counted to decide the winner.

The Secretary congratulated the winners of the Best Book Award-2011 and said that they would be awarded at a special function soon. (OK)