Amitav Ghosh wins 54th Jnanpith award, becomes first writer in English to get the prestigious award

Indian fiction writer Amitav Ghosh became the first writer of the English language in India to win the 54th Bharatiya Jnanpith award, for his contribution in the field of literature. He also becomes the first writer in the English language to win the award, after it was first established in 1961. A statement released by the Bharatiya Jnanpith said his writing had extraordinary depth and substance, while also creating a space where the past connects with the present. 

Thanking the jury for the award, Amitav tweeted saying he was honoured and humbled to be on a list of writers he admired the most. The writer is most popularly known for books like The Shadow Lines and Circle Of Reason, while also writing the likes of In An Antique Land, which have been widely praised. The 56-year-old author born in Bengal, has spent his life in many parts of the world including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Alexandria, Oxford and even Delhi, before finally settling in New York, with his wife Deborah Baker, who is also an author. 

The writer who is famous for The Calcutta Chromosome and The Hungry Tide, also has the trilogy of Sea Of Poppies,  River Of Smoke and Flood Of Fire, among other works. With Jnanpith being his latest award, Amitav Ghosh has also won the Sahitya Akademi award as well as the Padma Shri which he won in 2007.

The other writers to win the Jnanpith award are Mahasweta Devi, Shrilal Shukla, Amrita Pritam and UR Ananthamurthy.