Ananta Press is delighted to congratulate author V.S. Sury on being officially declared a Winner of the Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award for the drama GOLDEN BEAR. This recognition celebrates a work that approaches love, human relationships, confusion, and emotional conflict with imagination, humour, and an unusual dramatic structure. GOLDEN BEAR begins with an idea that immediately creates curiosity. Readers are familiar with the traditional love triangle, but V.S. Sury expands that familiar situation into what can best be described as a love rectangle. One person loves another, that person loves someone else, the next person has feelings for another woman, and that woman has already given her heart to the first man. The result is a circular chain of emotions in which every individual appears connected, yet no one seems capable of reaching the person they truly desire. This creative arrangement gives GOLDEN BEAR a distinctive identity within the drama category. Instead of presenting romance as a simple journey between two individuals, the book explores the comic and emotional complications that arise when affection is not returned in the expected direction. It creates situations that can make readers smile while also encouraging them to think about longing, choice, misunderstanding, acceptance, and the unpredictable nature of human relationships. One of the strongest aspects considered by the award committee was the originality of the central concept. The idea of transforming the traditional love triangle into a moving circle of four people gives the story freshness. Each character becomes emotionally important because changing the fate of one person affects the lives of the others. This interconnected structure gives the drama both entertainment value and narrative tension. The arrival of a mysterious problem solver brings another memorable dimension to the story. When the emotional situation becomes difficult to resolve, a figure who seems almost like a magician enters the picture and begins bringing order to the confusion. The dramatic appearance of the golden bear adds surprise, symbolism, humour, and theatrical energy to the narrative. Its role in leading the characters toward a satisfying conclusion helps distinguish the book from conventional romantic dramas. The Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award recognizes books and authors whose work demonstrates creativity, literary value, originality, reader engagement, and meaningful contribution to contemporary literature. The award celebrates writers who are willing to tell stories in their own distinctive way and who leave readers with something memorable after the final page. As part of the evaluation process, the book was considered by a six-member reading panel comprising Glenville Ashby, Kavya Pandey, Apeksha Gupta, Kavita Kaushik, Neel Preet, and Deepak Seth. The committee examined the book from different perspectives, including its concept, dramatic construction, readability, emotional appeal, originality, entertainment value, and overall impact. What particularly helped GOLDEN BEAR stand out was its ability to combine an entertaining romantic situation with an underlying question that many readers can understand. What happens when love does not move in the direction we expect? Can every emotional conflict be solved without leaving someone disappointed? The story approaches these questions without making the narrative unnecessarily heavy. Instead, it uses wit, movement, dramatic situations, and an imaginative resolution. The book also reminds readers that relationships are rarely as simple as they first appear. People can care deeply for one another and still find themselves emotionally disconnected. Desire cannot always be controlled, and affection cannot simply be redirected because it would make life more convenient. Through its unusual circle of relationships, GOLDEN BEAR reflects this complexity while maintaining the lightness and energy of an engaging drama. V.S. Sury deserves appreciation for taking a familiar literary theme and giving it an unconventional structure. Writing successfully about love requires more than creating romantic characters. It requires an understanding of timing, emotional conflict, personality, misunderstanding, hope, and resolution. GOLDEN BEAR uses these elements to create a story with its own character and charm. The award committee also appreciated the book’s potential to appeal to readers who enjoy drama that contains romance, humour, emotional complications, and unexpected developments. Its unusual premise gives readers an immediate reason to continue discovering how such a complicated emotional circle can possibly be resolved. The title GOLDEN BEAR itself becomes increasingly meaningful as the story progresses. The dramatic arrival associated with the golden bear gives the narrative an element of surprise and helps bring the complicated relationship puzzle toward what is described as a soul-satisfying conclusion. This combination of emotional confusion and inventive resolution contributes significantly to the memorable quality of the work. Ananta Press warmly congratulates V.S. Sury on becoming a Winner of the Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award. This achievement recognizes not only the creativity behind GOLDEN BEAR but also the author’s willingness to experiment with a familiar theme and transform it into something playful, dramatic, and distinctive. We extend our best wishes to V.S. Sury for continued success in the literary journey ahead. May GOLDEN BEAR reach a wide readership, entertain lovers of drama, and encourage the author to continue creating stories that approach human relationships with originality, imagination, and a unique literary voice. Jury Feedback Glenville Ashby GOLDEN BEAR attracted my attention because it takes a very familiar subject and presents it in an unfamiliar way. Romantic complications have appeared in literature for generations, but the idea of four people forming a complete emotional circle gives this story an enjoyable freshness. While reading, I was interested in seeing how the author would resolve a situation in which practically everyone was looking in the wrong emotional direction. The book maintains curiosity because every relationship affects another relationship. I also liked the balance between humour and emotion. The situation is amusing, but the feelings of the characters are not treated as meaningless. They remain important to the story. The arrival of the problem-solving figure and the dramatic role of the golden bear add further imagination to the narrative. V.S. Sury has created a drama that does not depend on unnecessary complexity. Its strength comes from its unusual idea, entertaining situations, and satisfying movement toward resolution.
It’s All About Love: From an Incomplete Wish to a Complete Story by Mitisha Mukherji Wins the Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award
Ananta Press is delighted to congratulate author Mitisha Mukherji on being declared an official winner of the Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award for her fiction work, It’s All About Love: From an Incomplete Wish to a Complete Story. This recognition celebrates a book that approaches one of literature’s most familiar subjects with sensitivity, simplicity, and a refreshing emotional perspective. Love is often presented in fiction through romance, dramatic declarations, separation, or reunion. Mitisha Mukherji’s book takes a different route. It’s All About Love explores how love appears in different forms at different stages of life and through different people. It suggests that love is rarely a single, isolated emotion. It can exist with comfort, friendship, longing, care, disappointment, understanding, attachment, hope, and the quiet feeling of being seen by another person. This wider understanding of love is one of the qualities that made the book stand out during the award evaluation. Rather than limiting the theme to a conventional romantic relationship, the story pays attention to the subtle emotional connections shared between characters. There is importance in ease, familiarity, silence, companionship, and emotional comfort. These quieter expressions give the book a relatable human quality and allow readers to connect the story with their own experiences. Another distinctive feature of the book is its scene-like storytelling. The chapters are structured in a way that can play visually in the reader’s mind, almost like short reels or closely observed moments from life. This gives the narrative a contemporary rhythm. The reader is not required to move through long stretches of exaggerated drama before reaching an emotional point. Instead, the story remains short, focused, and accessible while still carrying emotional meaning. The award committee also appreciated the balance between brevity and feeling. Writing a shorter story without making it feel incomplete is a challenge. It’s All About Love attempts to preserve emotional depth without unnecessary expansion. The book moves with clarity and keeps its attention on relationships and feelings rather than using excessive twists or dramatic situations. This makes its simplicity an important part of its literary identity. The title itself, From an Incomplete Wish to a Complete Story, adds another meaningful layer to the book. It suggests a journey from something unfinished toward emotional understanding and completion. That idea reflects the larger spirit of the work. Human relationships may begin with expectations, wishes, memories, or unanswered emotions, but their meaning often becomes clearer only as life moves forward. The book encourages readers to look at love as a journey rather than a fixed definition. The Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award recognizes works that demonstrate literary value, originality, meaningful reader connection, and a distinct voice. Mitisha Mukherji’s work was selected because it brings together an emotionally universal theme with a simple and visually engaging narrative approach. Its strength lies not in making love appear extraordinary, but in showing how extraordinary it can feel in ordinary human moments. As a work of General Fiction, It’s All About Love can speak to readers across different personal experiences because its central subject is universal. Most readers have known love in more than one form. They may have experienced it through family, friendship, companionship, longing, support, memory, or romance. By giving space to these different shades, the book invites readers to reflect on the relationships that have shaped their own understanding of love. The six-member reading panel also noted the book’s accessible style, emotional restraint, relatable theme, and visual flow. Their individual responses reflect a shared appreciation for the way the story avoids unnecessary melodrama while still creating an emotional connection with the reader. Ananta Press warmly congratulates Mitisha Mukherji on this achievement. Winning the Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award is a recognition of her effort to tell a familiar human story in a personal and thoughtful way. We wish her continued success in her literary journey and hope that It’s All About Love: From an Incomplete Wish to a Complete Story reaches many readers who see their own emotions, relationships, and memories reflected within its pages. Jury Feedback Glenville Ashby It’s All About Love left a positive impression on me because it presents love in a very natural and relatable form. The book does not depend only on romance to explain what love means. Instead, it allows the reader to notice love in comfort, understanding, silence, care, attachment, disappointment, and emotional support. I particularly liked the way the chapters feel like small visual scenes. While reading, I could imagine the moments playing in front of me, almost like short reels. This makes the story easy to follow and gives it a modern storytelling quality. At the same time, the author avoids unnecessary drama and keeps the emotional situations believable. Mitisha Mukherji has shown that even a short story can carry several layers of feeling when the characters and emotions are handled with care. The book is simple in language, but its central thought is meaningful. It reminds readers that love often exists in the ordinary moments that we may not immediately recognize. Kavya Pandey What I appreciated most about It’s All About Love is its understanding that love changes with people, situations, and stages of life. The book does not force every relationship into one definition. It allows each bond to have its own emotional meaning, which makes the story feel close to real life. The comfort shared by the characters is especially important because it shows that love can be expressed without dramatic declarations. Sometimes love is present in the way people understand each other, stay connected, or simply make another person feel safe. The chapter structure also makes the book enjoyable. Each part feels like a scene that can be clearly imagined, which helps maintain the reader’s attention. Mitisha Mukherji keeps the story short and focused, without adding unnecessary complications just to create drama. This simplicity becomes one of the strengths of the book. It is an emotionally gentle work that can make readers think about the many ways love has appeared in
National Young Authors League 2026 Celebrates the Winners of Young Author Launchpad
The National Young Authors League 2026 proudly celebrates the winners of Young Author Launchpad Season 01, a remarkable group of writers whose books represent an extraordinary spectrum of imagination, knowledge, personal experience, poetry, education, self-development, spirituality, professional wisdom, and children’s storytelling. More than an acknowledgement of published work, this recognition celebrates the journeys behind the books: the courage to begin writing, the discipline to complete a manuscript, the vulnerability to share personal ideas, and the determination to allow those words to find readers. From established educators, entrepreneurs and professionals to exceptionally young authors taking their first steps into literature, this season demonstrates that there is no single age, background, profession, or path that defines an author. Heartiest congratulations to all the winners of Young Author Launchpad Season 01. Each selected author brings a distinctive voice and purpose to the platform, reminding us that meaningful literature can emerge from a classroom, a corporate career, a childhood imagination, a deeply personal memory, a philosophical question, or simply the desire to communicate something that matters. Their achievements will be celebrated as part of the National Young Authors League 2026 at IIT Delhi, bringing these diverse literary journeys together on one platform. Annem Saad — Machines, Meteorites and More At just seventeen, Annem Saad represents an exciting new generation of science-fiction writers willing to question humanity’s growing relationship with technology. A Class 12 student with a love for science fiction, she contributes the story “In the Eye of Error” to the anthology Machines, Meteorites and More. Her story follows Sera, an engineer aboard an AI-controlled ship where automation has made human intervention almost unnecessary. When a violent storm overwhelms the automated systems, however, an almost-forgotten manual helm becomes the ship’s only hope. Through this compelling situation, Annem explores a deeply contemporary question: when technology fails, are human beings still prepared to take responsibility? Her selection celebrates not only youthful imagination but also the ability of young writers to engage intelligently with AI, choice, dependence, resilience, and human judgement. Read Machines, Meteorites and More on Amazon Dr. Devika S — As Long As It’s Black Dr. Devika S is recognised for As Long As It’s Black: The Afro-American Women’s Musings Redefining Life, a literary work that foregrounds the voices, identities, struggles, reflections, and aspirations of Afro-American women. An academic, researcher, and writer whose interests span literature, gender, culture, travel, language, and identity, Dr. Devika approaches Black womanhood not as a fixed representation but through women’s own acts of interpretation and self-definition. The book examines the intersections of race, gender, society, everyday experience, resilience, resistance, and emotional and intellectual agency. By placing lived experiences at the centre, the work encourages readers to reconsider the ways identity is negotiated and narrated. Her recognition honours a literary contribution that combines academic depth with a continuing commitment to bringing diverse women’s voices into meaningful cultural and literary conversations. Read As Long As It’s Black on Amazon Rahul Manghat — A Story Written Rahul Manghat receives recognition for A Story Written, a deeply emotional romance centred on Rahul and Niranjana and a connection that arrives quietly, grows intensely, breaks painfully, and refuses to disappear completely. Known for writing at the intersection of mythology, philosophy, identity, and human emotion, Rahul asks through this novel whether two souls can truly belong to one another when circumstances repeatedly pull them apart. Inspired by the timeless essence of Shiva and Sati, the story moves beyond conventional romance into questions of destiny, devotion, separation, forgiveness, memory, and emotional permanence. Rahul’s wider literary journey, including The Origin of Ten Fires and The Six Faces of Fire, demonstrates his fascination with ancient ideas and the unseen forces shaping human behaviour. A Story Written brings that philosophical sensitivity into the intimate world of love and longing. Read A Story Written on Amazon Sanjeev Panackal Thomas — Half-Footed Hero Sanjeev Panackal Thomas is celebrated for Half-Footed Hero: A Tale of a Lovedale Boy (1971–1979), a candid and deeply reflective memoir about growing up at The Lawrence School, Lovedale. Sanjeev revisits a formative world of misty hills, friendship, rivalry, discipline, mischief, triumph, humiliation, ambition, and uncertainty, looking at childhood not merely with nostalgia but with the perspective of a man trying to understand how those experiences shaped everything that followed. An engineer, business leader, entrepreneur, author, and artist, his later life would take him through corporate leadership in India and overseas, entrepreneurship, art, and writing. Yet Half-Footed Heroreturns to the boy behind those achievements. Its title beautifully captures resilience without certainty and the struggle to find balance when life does not provide a perfectly level playing field. Read Half-Footed Hero on Amazon Apeksha Gupta — You Have to Decide Apeksha Gupta is recognised for You Have to Decide: 7 Career Directions to Help You Find Where You Truly Belong, a timely career-focused work intended particularly for new graduates and junior college students trying to navigate choices beyond conventional career pathways. Publicly sharing the news of her selection, Apeksha described the book as close to her heart and designed to help younger readers navigate career decisions and prepare themselves to thrive in today’s changing market. She is also identified publicly as a GITAM PhD scholar working in sustainable and green logistics. The book’s premise gives particular relevance to an era in which students face an expanding range of professions, skills, technologies, and expectations but often lack clarity about where they personally belong. Her recognition celebrates writing that aims to convert uncertainty into informed, self-aware decision-making. Book will be releasing officially on IIT Delhi Chella Pandian Pitchai — Find Your Next Best Version (NBV) Chella Pandian Pitchai, widely known as CPP, is honoured for Find Your Next Best Version (NBV), a practical self-development book built around continuous personal growth. A leader, author, leadership coach, TEDx speaker, and advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, and culture, Chella brings decades of professional experience into a philosophy that asks readers to become a better version of themselves through small but purposeful actions. The book explores self-awareness, leadership, mindset, confidence, emotional resilience, purpose, relationships, inclusion, belonging, humanity, and
National Young Authors League 2026 Celebrates the Winners of Young Author Launchpad
The National Young Authors League 2026 proudly celebrates the winners of Young Author Launchpad Season 01, a remarkable group of writers whose books represent an extraordinary spectrum of imagination, knowledge, personal experience, poetry, education, self-development, spirituality, professional wisdom, and children’s storytelling. More than an acknowledgement of published work, this recognition celebrates the journeys behind the books: the courage to begin writing, the discipline to complete a manuscript, the vulnerability to share personal ideas, and the determination to allow those words to find readers. From established educators, entrepreneurs and professionals to exceptionally young authors taking their first steps into literature, this season demonstrates that there is no single age, background, profession, or path that defines an author. Heartiest congratulations to all the winners of Young Author Launchpad Season 01. Each selected author brings a distinctive voice and purpose to the platform, reminding us that meaningful literature can emerge from a classroom, a corporate career, a childhood imagination, a deeply personal memory, a philosophical question, or simply the desire to communicate something that matters. Their achievements will be celebrated as part of the National Young Authors League 2026 at IIT Delhi, bringing these diverse literary journeys together on one platform. Annem Saad — Machines, Meteorites and More At just seventeen, Annem Saad represents an exciting new generation of science-fiction writers willing to question humanity’s growing relationship with technology. A Class 12 student with a love for science fiction, she contributes the story “In the Eye of Error” to the anthology Machines, Meteorites and More. Her story follows Sera, an engineer aboard an AI-controlled ship where automation has made human intervention almost unnecessary. When a violent storm overwhelms the automated systems, however, an almost-forgotten manual helm becomes the ship’s only hope. Through this compelling situation, Annem explores a deeply contemporary question: when technology fails, are human beings still prepared to take responsibility? Her selection celebrates not only youthful imagination but also the ability of young writers to engage intelligently with AI, choice, dependence, resilience, and human judgement. Read Machines, Meteorites and More on Amazon Dr. Devika S — As Long As It’s Black Dr. Devika S is recognised for As Long As It’s Black: The Afro-American Women’s Musings Redefining Life, a literary work that foregrounds the voices, identities, struggles, reflections, and aspirations of Afro-American women. An academic, researcher, and writer whose interests span literature, gender, culture, travel, language, and identity, Dr. Devika approaches Black womanhood not as a fixed representation but through women’s own acts of interpretation and self-definition. The book examines the intersections of race, gender, society, everyday experience, resilience, resistance, and emotional and intellectual agency. By placing lived experiences at the centre, the work encourages readers to reconsider the ways identity is negotiated and narrated. Her recognition honours a literary contribution that combines academic depth with a continuing commitment to bringing diverse women’s voices into meaningful cultural and literary conversations. Read As Long As It’s Black on Amazon Rahul Manghat — A Story Written Rahul Manghat receives recognition for A Story Written, a deeply emotional romance centred on Rahul and Niranjana and a connection that arrives quietly, grows intensely, breaks painfully, and refuses to disappear completely. Known for writing at the intersection of mythology, philosophy, identity, and human emotion, Rahul asks through this novel whether two souls can truly belong to one another when circumstances repeatedly pull them apart. Inspired by the timeless essence of Shiva and Sati, the story moves beyond conventional romance into questions of destiny, devotion, separation, forgiveness, memory, and emotional permanence. Rahul’s wider literary journey, including The Origin of Ten Fires and The Six Faces of Fire, demonstrates his fascination with ancient ideas and the unseen forces shaping human behaviour. A Story Written brings that philosophical sensitivity into the intimate world of love and longing. Read A Story Written on Amazon Sanjeev Panackal Thomas — Half-Footed Hero Sanjeev Panackal Thomas is celebrated for Half-Footed Hero: A Tale of a Lovedale Boy (1971–1979), a candid and deeply reflective memoir about growing up at The Lawrence School, Lovedale. Sanjeev revisits a formative world of misty hills, friendship, rivalry, discipline, mischief, triumph, humiliation, ambition, and uncertainty, looking at childhood not merely with nostalgia but with the perspective of a man trying to understand how those experiences shaped everything that followed. An engineer, business leader, entrepreneur, author, and artist, his later life would take him through corporate leadership in India and overseas, entrepreneurship, art, and writing. Yet Half-Footed Heroreturns to the boy behind those achievements. Its title beautifully captures resilience without certainty and the struggle to find balance when life does not provide a perfectly level playing field. Read Half-Footed Hero on Amazon Apeksha Gupta — You Have to Decide Apeksha Gupta is recognised for You Have to Decide: 7 Career Directions to Help You Find Where You Truly Belong, a timely career-focused work intended particularly for new graduates and junior college students trying to navigate choices beyond conventional career pathways. Publicly sharing the news of her selection, Apeksha described the book as close to her heart and designed to help younger readers navigate career decisions and prepare themselves to thrive in today’s changing market. She is also identified publicly as a GITAM PhD scholar working in sustainable and green logistics. The book’s premise gives particular relevance to an era in which students face an expanding range of professions, skills, technologies, and expectations but often lack clarity about where they personally belong. Her recognition celebrates writing that aims to convert uncertainty into informed, self-aware decision-making. The book has been announced for traditional publishing and was described publicly as coming soon to online marketplaces; I could not verify a live purchase page yet. Chella Pandian Pitchai — Find Your Next Best Version (NBV) Chella Pandian Pitchai, widely known as CPP, is honoured for Find Your Next Best Version (NBV), a practical self-development book built around continuous personal growth. A leader, author, leadership coach, TEDx speaker, and advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, and culture, Chella brings decades of professional experience into a philosophy that asks readers to become a better version of themselves through
Prashantha Naveen Karkera Officially Nominated for the Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award for Hijack: And Its Repercussions
Ananta Press is delighted to congratulate Prashantha Naveen Karkera, author of Hijack: And Its Repercussions, on her official nomination for the prestigious Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award in recognition of a deeply personal, historically significant, and emotionally compelling work of non-fiction. Some books emerge from imagination, while others are born from experiences so extraordinary that preserving them becomes an act of remembrance. Hijack: And Its Repercussions belongs firmly to the latter category. It takes readers into the terrifying events surrounding the 1998 hijacking of the cargo vessel Princess Kash, captained by the author’s husband, Captain Bangare Navindra Karkera. The incident unfolded against the volatile background of the Sri Lankan civil war. In August 1998, Princess Kash, carrying a predominantly Indian crew, was seized by the LTTE off the Mullaitivu coast in north-eastern Sri Lanka. The vessel was subsequently bombed and destroyed, while uncertainty surrounded the fate of those aboard. Shivshankar Menon, who was serving at the Indian High Commission in Colombo at the time, recalls in the book’s preface that the High Commission’s immediate priority was the welfare of the Indians aboard and that diplomatic efforts ultimately helped secure the release of Captain Karkera and the Indian crew, who returned home by August 22, 1998. Yet Hijack: And Its Repercussions is far more than an account of a maritime hijacking or a moment in South Asian political history. At its emotional centre is a wife suddenly confronted with the possibility that her husband may never return. Prashantha Naveen Karkera describes learning of the hijacking through a newspaper report on August 15, 1998, a day that had begun in celebration of India’s Independence Day. Within moments, happiness was replaced by fear when reports suggested that the vessel had been bombed and that there might be no survivors. Her husband was the captain of that very ship. The account captures the devastating transition from ordinary domestic life to uncertainty, helplessness, and a desperate struggle for information. What makes this work especially worthy of nomination is the author’s refusal to remain merely an observer of events. Faced with an international crisis, she transformed her fear into action. She contacted diplomatic authorities, appealed to government representatives, communicated with the Indian High Commission, and persistently sought intervention for her husband and the other crew members. Her story therefore becomes not simply one of survival, but also one of courage discovered under extraordinary circumstances. The Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award Committee found particular literary and human value in the way Hijack: And Its Repercussions connects a major geopolitical incident with the intimate realities experienced by families behind the headlines. Wars, hijackings, bombings, and diplomatic disputes are often reduced to statistics and news reports. Prashantha Naveen Karkera reminds readers that behind every headline are spouses, children, parents, and families living through consequences that cannot be captured by official statements alone. This deeply human perspective gives the book its originality. The narrative also explores integrity and reputation. Captain Karkera faced suspicion amid the confusion surrounding the vessel and its cargo. For his family, therefore, the struggle was not only for his physical safety but also for the preservation of his honour. The eventual release of the Indian crew and the return of Captain Karkera with his integrity intact transformed an experience of fear into one of profound gratitude and reflection. The book carries another powerful message: extraordinary strength can emerge from people who have never considered themselves extraordinary. The author describes how the crisis changed her from a carefree and timid woman into someone determined to fight for the lives of those aboard. That transformation gives the narrative relevance beyond the historical incident itself. It speaks to readers about courage, perseverance, family, hope, faith, uncertainty, and the human instinct to keep fighting even when circumstances appear hopeless. The significance of the work is further strengthened by Shivshankar Menon’s preface. Describing the book as the telling of a human story by someone who was intimately and emotionally involved in the events, he expresses gratitude to the author for bringing this portion of history to the public and voices the hope that it will be widely read. There is also a profoundly moving personal dimension to the book’s preservation of memory. The author records that she later lost her husband in February 2017 after a prolonged illness, making this recollection not merely documentation of an extraordinary episode but also a tribute to a man whose survival in 1998 became an unforgettable chapter in the family’s life. Through the Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award, Ananta Press seeks to recognise works that possess literary merit while also contributing something meaningful to readers and society. Hijack: And Its Repercussions exemplifies that purpose through its combination of personal testimony, historical memory, emotional honesty, resilience, and reflection. The Award Committee is therefore pleased to officially nominate Prashantha Naveen Karkera for the Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award and congratulates her on bringing this remarkable story into the literary world. We extend our heartfelt best wishes to Prashantha Naveen Karkera for the next stage of the award journey. Her contribution ensures that an extraordinary chapter of history, and the courage of those who lived through it, will not simply disappear with time. Congratulations to Prashantha Naveen Karkera on this well-deserved nomination, and best wishes to Hijack: And Its Repercussions for reaching, moving, and inspiring readers for years to come.
Jaun Elia: Ek Ajab Ghazab Shayar by Muntazir Firozabadi Wins the Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award
Ananta Press is delighted to officially announce Muntazir Firozabadi as a Winner of the Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award for his remarkable book Jaun Elia: Ek Ajab Ghazab Shayar. This recognition celebrates a work that does more than discuss the poetry of Jaun Elia. It attempts to understand the restless mind, rebellious personality, emotional depth, literary style, and unique world that made Jaun one of the most fascinating voices of modern Urdu poetry. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Muntazir Firozabadi for creating a book that brings readers closer to the personality and poetic universe of Jaun Elia in an engaging and deeply personal manner. Jaun Elia remains a literary figure who refuses to fit easily into conventional descriptions. He was outspoken, rebellious, philosophical, emotional, dramatic, and often deliberately uncomfortable with accepted ideas. His poetry carries frustration, loneliness, humour, anger, intellectual questioning, self-criticism, love, separation, and a constant argument with life itself. These qualities have helped his poetry remain relevant to generations that came after him. Jaun Elia: Ek Ajab Ghazab Shayar captures this unusual literary personality with affection as well as curiosity. The book introduces readers not only to Jaun’s ghazals and nazms, but also to qataat and to what the author describes as “Jauniyat”, the distinctive spirit and personality behind the poetry. This exploration of Jauniyat became an important reason for the award committee’s appreciation of the book. Instead of presenting Jaun only as a celebrated poet whose verses are frequently quoted, Muntazir Firozabadi attempts to explore the person behind those verses. The book invites readers to understand why Jaun spoke in a certain way, why his poetry carries such visible restlessness, and why his language continues to connect strongly with readers even decades after his death. Born in Amroha in India and later making Karachi his home, Jaun Elia developed a literary identity that crossed geographical boundaries. His appeal today extends far beyond traditional Urdu literary circles. His verses are read, quoted, performed, shared and discussed by young readers who may have first discovered him through social media and then entered the wider world of Urdu poetry. Muntazir Firozabadi’s book recognizes this continuing influence. It presents Jaun as a poet whose style contains drama, irritation, rebellion, philosophy and an unusual refusal to obey established literary expectations. The book also places his work within the broader tradition of Urdu poetry, while acknowledging how contemporary poetic expression has increasingly come under the influence of Jaun’s distinctive voice. The Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award aims to recognize books and authors who make meaningful contributions to literature through originality, cultural relevance, emotional impact and reader value. The selection process considers not simply the popularity of a subject, but the manner in which an author approaches that subject and the value the finished work offers to readers. Jaun Elia: Ek Ajab Ghazab Shayar stood out because it combines literary appreciation with personality exploration. It is neither merely a collection of poetry nor simply a biographical account. It creates a bridge between Jaun’s writings and the stories, contradictions and qualities associated with his personality. For readers already familiar with Jaun, the book offers an opportunity to revisit him through another perspective. For readers discovering him for the first time, it can serve as an accessible entry into his poetic world. This ability to speak to both existing admirers and new readers gives the book meaningful literary value. The award committee also appreciated the enthusiasm visible in the author’s approach. The description of discovering Jaun almost like becoming affected by a “Jaun virus” captures the unusual attraction his poetry creates. Readers often begin with a few famous couplets and soon find themselves searching for more poems, more stories and a deeper understanding of the man behind them. The book tries to respond to precisely that curiosity. Through this work, Muntazir Firozabadi contributes to the continuing conversation around one of Urdu literature’s most unconventional poetic figures. His effort helps preserve literary memory while presenting it in a form capable of engaging contemporary readers. Ananta Press proudly congratulates Muntazir Firozabadi on receiving the Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award for Jaun Elia: Ek Ajab Ghazab Shayar. We wish him continued success in his literary journey and hope his writing continues to introduce readers to important voices, forgotten dimensions and fascinating personalities from the world of literature. May this recognition encourage him to keep exploring literature with the same curiosity, affection and commitment. His contribution through Jaun Elia: Ek Ajab Ghazab Shayar deserves appreciation for keeping the conversation around Jaun Elia alive while opening new doors for readers who wish to understand the poet beyond his most frequently quoted verses. Jury Feedback Glenville Ashby Reading Jaun Elia: Ek Ajab Ghazab Shayar gave me the feeling that the author was not trying to explain Jaun Elia from a distance. Muntazir Firozabadi approaches him with curiosity and emotional involvement. That makes the book interesting. Jaun was not an easy personality to understand because contradictions were an important part of both his life and poetry. This book accepts those contradictions instead of trying to simplify them. I particularly liked the idea of exploring “Jauniyat”, because readers today know many of Jaun’s famous lines but often know very little about the mind and personality behind them. The inclusion of ghazals, nazms, qataat and observations about his personal nature gives the reader several ways to enter his world. The language and approach can also encourage younger readers to explore Urdu literature. For me, the book’s greatest strength is that it creates curiosity. After reading it, a reader naturally wants to read more of Jaun himself. Kavya Pandey What I appreciated most about Jaun Elia: Ek Ajab Ghazab Shayar is its attempt to show why Jaun Elia still feels so contemporary. Many poets are respected because of their historical importance, but Jaun continues to feel emotionally close to readers today. His irritation, loneliness, rebellion and questioning of accepted ideas speak directly to modern readers. Muntazir Firozabadi understands this attraction and builds the book
Lead From Within by Dr. Shrikant Kallurkar Honoured as Winner of the Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award
Ananta Press is pleased to officially announce Dr. Shrikant Kallurkar as a Winner of the Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award for his thoughtful and distinctive book, Lead From Within: A Corporate Transformation Story by 5 Vedic Laws of Success. This recognition celebrates a work that successfully brings together ancient Indian wisdom and the realities of modern professional life. Through an engaging corporate transformation story, Dr. Shrikant Kallurkar has created a book that speaks to professionals who may be successful on the outside but are searching for greater clarity, balance, confidence, purpose, and meaning within. Lead From Within follows the journey of Mr. Smith, a corporate professional facing stress, stagnation, and a growing loss of purpose. His challenges are familiar to many people working in demanding professional environments. Instead of presenting these struggles only as workplace problems, the book goes deeper and explores how meaningful change begins with self-awareness and inner alignment. One of the strongest qualities of the book is its use of the Pancha Kosha framework. The concepts of Annamay Kosh, Pranmay Kosh, Manomay Kosh, Vidnyanamaya Kosh, and Anandmay Kosh are connected with personal and professional development in an accessible manner. The author further introduces the Five Vedic Laws of Success, Yadnya, Dana, Tapa, Karma, and Swadhyaya, and demonstrates how these principles can guide people towards greater discipline, responsibility, learning, contribution, and fulfilment. The award committee found the book particularly valuable because it does not treat Vedic wisdom as an abstract subject. Dr. Shrikant Kallurkar translates traditional Indian Knowledge Systems into ideas and practices that can be understood by professionals, managers, entrepreneurs, educators, and aspiring leaders. This practical interpretation gives the book an important contemporary relevance. The storytelling format also adds considerable strength to the work. Readers are not simply given principles to remember. They observe a character experiencing challenges, questioning his circumstances, learning new ideas, and gradually changing his approach towards life and work. This makes the learning experience more relatable and allows readers to reflect on their own professional journeys. The Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award recognizes books and authors whose work demonstrates originality, meaningful literary contribution, reader value, and the ability to create a positive intellectual or emotional impact. The selection process considers not only the subject of a book but also the way its ideas are presented, the relevance of its message, and its potential contribution to readers and society. Lead From Within stood out because of its distinctive combination of corporate storytelling, self-reflection, leadership learning, and Indian philosophical knowledge. At a time when many professionals experience stress, burnout, uncertainty, and pressure to constantly achieve more, the book offers a different understanding of success. It suggests that sustainable achievement cannot depend only on external recognition, position, or performance. It must also grow from internal stability, awareness, values, and a clear sense of purpose. The book’s message that inner alignment can create outer achievement is especially significant. Leadership, in this work, is not limited to managing other people. It begins with understanding oneself. This approach gives the book value beyond the corporate environment. Students, educators, entrepreneurs, managers, and readers interested in self-development can all find ideas that encourage reflection and personal growth. Dr. Shrikant Kallurkar deserves appreciation for presenting Indian Knowledge Systems in a form that connects them with present-day leadership and professional challenges. The originality of the framework, the practical nature of the lessons, and the use of a transformation story make Lead From Within a meaningful contribution to contemporary motivational and leadership literature. The Ananta Press award committee congratulates Dr. Shrikant Kallurkar on becoming an official Winner of the Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award. This honour recognizes his effort to create literature that informs, inspires, and encourages readers to examine success from a deeper perspective. We extend our best wishes to Dr. Shrikant Kallurkar for the continued journey of Lead From Within and for his future literary contributions. May his work reach professionals, leaders, educators, entrepreneurs, and thoughtful readers across different fields, encouraging them to discover that meaningful leadership often begins with the journey within. Jury Feedback Glenville Ashby After reading Lead From Within, I found its greatest strength in the way it connects spiritual understanding with the practical difficulties of corporate life. Mr. Smith’s journey makes the ideas easier to understand because the reader sees how stress, lack of confidence, professional stagnation, and loss of purpose can gradually affect a capable person. The book does not simply tell readers to become more positive. It provides a framework through which they can examine different areas of their lives. I especially appreciated the use of the Pancha Kosha concept because it encourages a more complete understanding of human development. The Five Vedic Laws of Success also give the book a clear direction and practical value. The author has made traditional knowledge relevant without making the book unnecessarily complicated. In my view, this is a thoughtful contribution to leadership and personal development literature. It encourages readers to understand that lasting professional success must have a strong inner foundation. Kavya Pandey What impressed me most about Lead From Within was its simplicity of purpose despite dealing with deep philosophical ideas. The book brings Vedic principles into a setting that modern professionals can easily recognize. Through Mr. Smith’s experiences, readers can understand how a person may continue working hard and still feel disconnected, tired, or uncertain about the direction of life. Dr. Shrikant Kallurkar presents the Pancha Kosha framework in a way that encourages readers to think about physical wellbeing, energy, emotions, understanding, and inner happiness together. I also found the Five Vedic Laws of Success meaningful because they focus on contribution, discipline, action, learning, and responsibility rather than only material achievement. The storytelling keeps the book approachable and prevents it from becoming purely theoretical. It has the potential to help young professionals as well as experienced leaders reconsider what genuine success means. I believe the book deserves recognition for making Indian wisdom useful in a contemporary professional environment. Apeksha Gupta Lead From Within offers an interesting
Gita: Verses of Eternity by Rajeev Kumar Dubey Wins the Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award
Ananta Press is pleased to announce Rajeev Kumar Dubey as an official Winner of the Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award for his thoughtful and spiritually enriching poetry book, Gita: Verses of Eternity. This recognition celebrates a work that brings the timeless wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita closer to contemporary readers through the beauty, simplicity, and emotional power of poetry. For centuries, the Bhagavad Gita has remained one of the most influential philosophical and spiritual texts in the world. Its teachings have inspired saints, philosophers, reformers, scholars, scientists, leaders, and ordinary individuals searching for direction in difficult moments. Yet, for many modern readers, the original Sanskrit verses and their philosophical depth can sometimes appear distant or challenging. Gita: Verses of Eternity attempts to bridge this distance by presenting the spirit of the Gita in an accessible poetic form. What makes Rajeev Kumar Dubey’s work worthy of this recognition is the intention behind the poetry. The book does not treat the Gita merely as an ancient religious text. Instead, it presents its wisdom as something that continues to speak to human beings facing uncertainty, responsibility, ethical choices, questions of purpose, and inner conflict today. The work is particularly meaningful because it welcomes different kinds of readers. It can serve someone approaching the Gita for the first time, a young person searching for direction, a professional struggling with an ethical decision, a spiritual seeker, or simply a thoughtful reader interested in understanding life more deeply. The central idea that we should engage with life rather than escape from it gives the book particular relevance. The Gita was itself delivered at a moment of intense conflict, when Arjuna had to decide how to respond to duty, emotion, morality, and uncertainty. By carrying this conversation into poetry for today’s audience, Rajeev Kumar Dubey allows an ancient dialogue to continue in a language and form that can connect with new generations. Rajeev Kumar Dubey brings an interesting intellectual and creative background to this literary work. He serves as a Professor of Anaesthesiology at the Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, with an academic background that includes Anaesthesiology, Critical Care, and Hospital Administration. Alongside his work as a physician and teacher, he has developed a deep interest in Indian culture, literature, history, poetry, and philosophical thought. This combination of scientific discipline, academic experience, cultural curiosity, and poetic sensitivity gives his literary voice a distinctive character. The Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award recognizes literary works that demonstrate meaningful thought, originality, reader value, cultural importance, and the ability to contribute positively to literature. The award committee considered Gita: Verses of Eternity significant because it does more than repeat familiar philosophical ideas. It attempts to make enduring wisdom approachable through a literary form that encourages reflection without creating unnecessary complexity. The book’s selection also reflects its potential impact. Literature becomes especially valuable when it helps readers understand themselves and their responsibilities more clearly. Through poetic engagement with the teachings of the Gita, this work encourages readers to think about purpose, action, duty, understanding, inner balance, and the way they respond to life’s challenges. The Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award committee congratulates Rajeev Kumar Dubey on this achievement. Gita: Verses of Eternity represents a sincere effort to connect an ancient philosophical conversation with the concerns of today’s reader. We extend our best wishes to the author and hope that his work continues to reach readers searching for wisdom, clarity, purpose, and meaningful engagement with life. Jury Feedback Glenville Ashby Gita: Verses of Eternity impressed me because it approaches an ancient spiritual text with respect while still making an effort to communicate with modern readers. The Bhagavad Gita has been explained and interpreted many times, so any writer working with it faces the challenge of finding a meaningful way to present its ideas again. Rajeev Kumar Dubey chooses poetry, and this allows the teachings to feel more personal and reflective. I especially appreciated the idea that the Gita does not ask people to escape life but teaches them how to participate in it with greater understanding. That message has value far beyond a particular religious or cultural background. Readers dealing with difficult decisions, uncertainty, responsibility, or questions about their purpose can find something relevant here. The author’s intention to make profound philosophical ideas approachable without removing their seriousness gives this book literary and spiritual value. It is a thoughtful work that encourages the reader to reflect rather than simply accept. Kavya Pandey While reading Gita: Verses of Eternity, I felt that one of its strongest qualities was its accessibility. Many people are curious about the Bhagavad Gita but hesitate to begin because they believe the language, philosophy, or traditional commentaries may be difficult to understand. This book creates a gentler entry point through poetry. Rajeev Kumar Dubey has tried to preserve the larger spirit of the teachings while presenting them in a form that today’s readers can approach comfortably. I also liked that the book is not written only for people who already follow a spiritual practice. Its ideas can speak to students, professionals, young readers, and anyone trying to understand responsibility, purpose, and personal choices. The poetry encourages quiet thinking rather than forcing conclusions on the reader. There is sincerity in the way the author approaches the subject. For me, this combination of simplicity, relevance, philosophical depth, and literary expression makes the book deserving of recognition. Apeksha Gupta What stayed with me after reading Gita: Verses of Eternity was the connection it creates between ancient wisdom and everyday life. The book reminds us that the questions faced by Arjuna are not completely different from the questions faced by people today. We may not stand on a battlefield, but we regularly face situations involving fear, uncertainty, responsibility, relationships, ambition, morality, and difficult choices. Rajeev Kumar Dubey uses poetry to make this connection easier to understand. His approach gives readers space to consider the teachings personally instead of seeing them only as philosophical statements from the past. I also found
Aniket Sarkar Officially Declared Winner of the Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award for Trapped Among The FamiLIAR
Ananta Press is pleased to officially announce Aniket Sarkar as a Winner of the prestigious Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award for his thought-provoking book, Trapped Among The FamiLIAR, in the category of Psychological Self-Help. This recognition celebrates a book that looks closely at one of the most complex areas of human life: the intentions of people hidden behind familiar faces. Trapped Among The FamiLIAR explores how trust, relationships, emotions, and personal judgment can sometimes be influenced by people whom we believe we know well. Through psychological observations and real-life inspired situations, the book encourages readers to become more aware of subtle patterns of manipulation and emotional influence. The title itself communicates the central idea of the book in a creative manner. By emphasizing the word “LIAR” within “FamiLIAR,” Aniket Sarkar immediately draws attention to the possibility that familiarity does not always guarantee honesty, safety, or good intentions. This thoughtful presentation reflects the psychological direction of the book and prepares readers to question appearances instead of accepting every relationship at face value. The Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award recognizes writers and books that demonstrate meaningful ideas, originality, reader value, literary contribution, and the ability to create a positive impact through writing. The award committee looks beyond the subject of a book and considers how effectively an author communicates the message, how relevant the work is to contemporary readers, and whether the book encourages reflection, awareness, learning, or personal growth. Trapped Among The FamiLIAR stood out because of the relevance of its subject. Modern relationships are often complicated. Emotional manipulation does not always appear in obvious forms. Sometimes it can exist in ordinary conversations, repeated patterns, guilt, pressure, emotional dependency, hidden motives, or seemingly harmless behaviour. Aniket Sarkar brings attention to these subtle situations and encourages readers to notice what may otherwise remain unseen. One of the strongest qualities of the book is its focus on awareness rather than fear. The purpose is not to make readers suspicious of everyone around them. Instead, the book encourages them to understand human motives, observe behaviour carefully, sharpen their intuition, establish healthier emotional boundaries, and protect their mental space. This balanced approach gives the work value within the Psychological Self-Help category. The award committee also appreciated the book’s emphasis on emotional strength. Recognising unhealthy influence is only the beginning. A person must also develop the confidence to respond to it. Through its observations and guidance, Trapped Among The FamiLIAR encourages readers to trust their understanding, examine repeated behavioural patterns, and make thoughtful decisions about the relationships affecting their emotional wellbeing. Another important aspect of the book is its accessibility. Psychological subjects can sometimes become highly technical or difficult for general readers. Aniket Sarkar approaches the subject through relatable human experiences and observations. This allows readers to connect psychological ideas with situations they may have experienced in friendships, families, workplaces, social circles, or personal relationships. The originality of the book lies in the way it examines the hidden side of familiarity. Many books discuss toxic relationships, manipulation, boundaries, or emotional awareness separately. Trapped Among The FamiLIAR connects these ideas through the central question of how well we actually understand the people closest to us. It asks readers to examine not only what people say, but also patterns, motives, emotional responses, and the impact a relationship has on their peace of mind. The literary and reader value of the book comes from this combination of observation and self-reflection. It invites readers to pause and reconsider experiences that may previously have been ignored or misunderstood. It reminds them that awareness can be a form of protection and that emotional intelligence can help people make healthier choices. The Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award committee believes that literature becomes especially meaningful when it helps readers understand both the world around them and themselves more clearly. Trapped Among The FamiLIAR contributes to this purpose by opening a conversation about trust, manipulation, intuition, emotional boundaries, and personal strength. Ananta Press warmly congratulates Aniket Sarkar on becoming an official Winner of the Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award. May this recognition bring greater attention to his work and encourage Trapped Among The FamiLIAR to reach readers who can benefit from its message. We extend our best wishes to Aniket Sarkar for his future literary journey. His contribution through this book demonstrates how psychological self-help literature can encourage awareness, stronger decision-making, emotional independence, and healthier relationships. We look forward to seeing his ideas continue to inspire thoughtful conversations and meaningful personal growth among readers. Jury Feedback Glenville Ashby Trapped Among The FamiLIAR presents an interesting examination of human behaviour and the emotional risks that can exist inside familiar relationships. What I appreciated most was the book’s attempt to make readers observe intentions instead of simply trusting appearances. The author raises useful questions about emotional manipulation, personal boundaries, intuition, and the influence other people can have on our decisions. These subjects are very relevant today because unhealthy behaviour is not always aggressive or easily visible. Sometimes it develops quietly through repeated emotional patterns. The book encourages readers to notice these patterns before they become damaging. I also appreciated that the message is not based only on avoiding difficult people. It is equally focused on strengthening yourself emotionally and becoming more aware of your own responses. That makes the book useful as a self-help work. Aniket Sarkar has selected a subject that can encourage readers to examine their relationships with greater clarity and maturity. Kavya Pandey While reading Trapped Among The FamiLIAR, I found its central idea both relatable and important. We often believe that familiarity automatically means trust, but the book encourages us to look deeper into behaviour, intention, and emotional influence. This makes the subject very meaningful for readers who may have experienced confusing relationships but were unable to understand why certain interactions affected them negatively. The author’s use of real-life inspired observations makes the psychological ideas easier to understand. Readers do not need an academic background in psychology to connect with the message.
Muntazir Firozabadi Earns Official Nomination for the Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award for Jaun Elia: Ek Ajab Ghazab Shayar
Ananta Press is delighted to congratulate Muntazir Firozabadi, the pen name of author Anant Bhardwaj, on the official nomination of his remarkable book, Jaun Elia: Ek Ajab Ghazab Shayar, for the prestigious Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award. This nomination celebrates not only an engaging literary work but also the author’s sustained dedication to preserving, interpreting, and carrying forward the rich legacy of Hindi-Urdu literature. Jaun Elia: Ek Ajab Ghazab Shayar is much more than a conventional introduction to a celebrated poet. It attempts to enter the fascinating, rebellious, philosophical, emotional, and often unpredictable world of Jaun Elia—a poet whose personality has become almost as legendary as his poetry. Jaun Elia was known for his fearless voice, unconventional worldview, intellectual restlessness, sharp wit, emotional intensity, and refusal to comfortably fit within established literary or social boundaries. His poetry could be dramatic, wounded, argumentative, philosophical, romantic, frustrated, and deeply introspective, sometimes all within the same creative universe. It is precisely this complexity that makes writing about Jaun Elia both exciting and challenging. Muntazir Firozabadi approaches this challenge with evident affection for his subject and an understanding that Jaun cannot be fully experienced through isolated couplets alone. The book brings together ghazals, nazms, qataat and, significantly, an exploration of what the author describes as “Jauniyat”—the distinctive personality, temperament, thought process, contradictions and lesser-explored dimensions associated with Jaun Elia. This emphasis on “Jauniyat” is one of the important reasons the work attracted the attention of the award committee. Instead of presenting Jaun merely as a historical literary figure, the book tries to help readers understand why his poetry continues to feel immediate and contemporary. Born in Amroha in India and later settling in Karachi, where he was eventually laid to rest, Jaun Elia belonged to a literary tradition that crossed geographical boundaries. His work continues to connect generations of readers across India, Pakistan and beyond. Even years after his passing, his verses circulate widely among young poetry lovers, literary communities and digital audiences. His personal anecdotes, public appearances, philosophical observations and distinctive style have also become an inseparable part of his cultural memory. Jaun Elia: Ek Ajab Ghazab Shayar captures this continued fascination while offering readers an accessible doorway into his literary universe. The book recognizes how contemporary poets and poetry enthusiasts increasingly turn toward Jaun’s style alongside the enduring traditions associated with poets such as Mir, Momin, Ghalib, Faiz and Khumar. It examines a poetic voice that broke conventions while simultaneously remaining deeply connected to Urdu literary culture. The Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award seeks to recognize literary works and authors who contribute meaningfully to literature through originality, cultural value, creative expression, reader impact and commitment to preserving important literary traditions. The nomination of Jaun Elia: Ek Ajab Ghazab Shayar reflects these values. The award committee particularly acknowledges the book’s contribution in introducing and reintroducing Jaun Elia to readers who may know his famous couplets but have yet to explore the larger personality and literary atmosphere behind them. By combining poetry with aspects of Jaun’s life and personality, Muntazir Firozabadi has created a work capable of appealing both to established admirers of Urdu poetry and to younger readers beginning their journey into the genre. The nomination also recognizes the author’s broader contribution to Hindi-Urdu literary culture. Anant Bhardwaj, known publicly through his literary identity Muntazir Firozabadi, has devoted considerable creative energy to commemorating Jaun Elia’s life and work. The success of Jaun Elia: Ek Ajab Ghazab Shayar, including its recognition as a bestseller in Amazon’s poetry category, demonstrates the connection the work has established with readers. His literary engagement extends beyond this book. He has appeared across YouTube platforms, radio interviews and podcasts discussing Hindi-Urdu literature and has participated in literary festivals and panel discussions alongside respected personalities from literature and Hindi cinema. His commitment to literary preservation is further evident in his ongoing interest in poets such as Sahir Ludhianvi, Parveen Shakir and Shiv Kumar Batalvi. His planned literary projects surrounding these influential voices demonstrate a larger mission: to keep significant poets accessible, discussed and relevant for contemporary generations. Muntazir Firozabadi is also associated with platforms and communities devoted to Urdu literature, with his work finding visibility on Rekhta. His own collection of ghazals, Daur-e-Hazir, published in 2018, has been presented within literary gatherings including Kavi Sammelans and Mushairas. His earlier collaboration with Neelesh Misra’s Mandali for the Yaad Shehar radio project further reflects the range of mediums through which he has contributed to literary storytelling. What makes this nomination especially meaningful is the continuity between the author’s literary interests and the subject of his book. Jaun Elia: Ek Ajab Ghazab Shayar does not appear to emerge from temporary fascination; it is part of a sustained engagement with poetry, literary history and the personalities who shaped Hindi-Urdu cultural imagination. Through this work, Muntazir Firozabadi invites readers not simply to read Jaun Elia but to encounter him—to experience his rebellion, contradictions, vulnerability, philosophy, humour, dissatisfaction and unmistakable poetic temperament. The Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award committee is pleased to officially nominate Muntazir Firozabadi for Jaun Elia: Ek Ajab Ghazab Shayar and congratulates him on this significant literary recognition. We extend our best wishes to Muntazir Firozabadi for the next stage of the award journey and for his forthcoming literary and creative projects. May his continued efforts help new generations discover the extraordinary richness of Hindi-Urdu poetry while preserving the voices of poets whose words remain alive long after their time. Congratulations to Muntazir Firozabadi on his official nomination for the Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award.
