Eminent Manipuri writer Arambam Ongbi Memchoubi will be conferred with Amar Ujala’s prestigious Akashdeep Award, the publication announced on January 15. Celebrated Hindi author Mamta Kalia will also receive the honour.
Both writers will be awarded a cash prize of ₹5 lakh each, along with a citation and a Ganga sculpture, at the Shabd Samman 2025 ceremony, which will be held soon.
In a statement, Amar Ujala noted that the award carries special significance in the context of global milestones for women. “The United Nations declared 1975 as the International Women’s Year. The year 2025 marks its Golden Jubilee, and 2026 has been dedicated by the UN to women’s contributions to agriculture. Honouring these two women creators lends the award a special distinction,” the statement said.
Memchoubi is widely recognised for her exceptional contribution to Manipuri literature, particularly her writings on postcolonial thought and women’s identity. Mamta Kalia, who emerged as a powerful literary voice during the early feminist movement, has authored over a dozen acclaimed works and is known for her nuanced portrayal of middle-class life and women’s struggles.
Several distinguished authors writing in non-Hindi Indian languages have previously received the Akashdeep Award, including Girish Karnad, Bhalchandra Nemade, Shankha Ghosh, Pratibha Ray, M. T. Vasudevan Nair, and Sitanshu Yashaschandra. Among Hindi writers, past recipients include Namvar Singh, Gyanranjan, Vishwanath Tripathi, Shekhar Joshi, Vinod Kumar Shukla, and Govind Mishra.
Meanwhile, Amar Ujala also announced the winners of the Shabd Samman–25 awards for the best Hindi works published in 2024.
In the ‘Chhap’ (Poetry) category, Savita Singh’s collection Vaasna Ek Nadi Ka Naam Hai (Desire Is the Name of a River) was selected as the Best Work. Naish Hasan’s Mutah won the Best Work award in Non-Fiction, while Shahadat’s short-story collection Curfew Ki Raat (The Night of the Curfew) was chosen as the Best Work in Fiction.
The Bhasha-Bandhu Award for Indian-language translation will be presented to Sujata Shiven for her Hindi translation of Charu Chivar aur Charya, originally written in Odia by Pradeep Dash.
The Thaap Award, given for an author’s debut book, will be conferred on Manish Yadav for Sudhaargrih Ki Malikainen (The Women Who Run the Reformatory).
