Distinguished author Irwin Allan Sealy and leading poet Gagan Gill will be specially honoured at this year’s Godrej Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest with the Godrej Literature Live! Lifetime Achievement Award and the Godrej Literature Live! Poet Laureateship, respectively.
A renowned author whose mastery across genres is widely acclaimed, Irwin Allan Sealy is one of India’s best-known novelists. He burst upon the literary scene with the unparalleled The Trotter-Nama, and each book after has marked a milestone in its unique treatment of subject, style and voice. No two books from the pen of this versatile author are the same, keeping his readers in keen anticipation of the next publication. He has been nominated for and awarded several prestigious prizes, including the Sahitya Akademi Award.
Accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award, Mr. Sealy said, “Writers are solitary creatures, living in a kind of echo chamber. At best, you write for a small circle of friends, no more than might gather in a single room. To find that others have been listening is gratifying, but to learn that they have thought your whole body of work worth rewarding is especially pleasing. I’m honoured and delighted to accept this Lifetime Achievement Award.”
Gagan Gill is a foremost poet and translator to and from Hindi. She has also been a successful and respected journalist. She left the profession to devote herself to poetry which has been nationally acclaimed. Her poetry is imaginative, gentle, nuanced and yet piercing in its impact. Her works are followed across the country. She has recently been awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award for her latest book of poems, Jab Tak Aayi Baahar.
On being named Poet Laureate of the Festival, Ms Gill said, “I am deeply honoured by the news. Nothing prepares a poet for success. Theirs is a lonely voice talking in the dark. To know that it mattered, that someone paused to pay it attention, is an award in itself. Imagine joining a galaxy of amazing poets. It feels magical”.
Amy Fernandes and Quasar Thakore Padamsee, Co-Directors of Godrej Literature Live! The Mumbai Litfest, said, “This year we honour a revered writer in English and a powerful poet in Hindi, and through them also pay homage to the wonderful range of languages and literature that flourish in India. We are delighted that Irwin Allan Sealy and Gagan Gill will be attending the festival in person; their presence will truly elevate the event and enhance the literary experience for our audiences”.
Pirojsha Godrej, Chairperson, Godrej Industries Group, said, “Both Irwin Allan Sealy and Gagan Gill have made distinctive and enduring contributions to Indian literature. We are delighted to celebrate them with the Lifetime Achievement and Poet Laureate awards at this year’s Godrej Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest. Their work reflects the richness of India’s literary traditions and the many voices and forms through which our stories continue to be told”.
Past recipients of the Literature Live! Lifetime Achievement Award include: Vinod Kumar Shukla, Pratibha Ray, C S Lakshmi, Mahesh Elkunchwar, Anita Desai, Ruskin Bond, Shanta Gokhale, Sir Mark Tully, Girish Karnad, Amitav Ghosh, Kiran Nagarkar, M T Vasudevan Nair, Khushwant Singh, Sir V S Naipaul, and Mahasweta Devi.
Previous Poet Laureates include: Sitanshu Yashaschandra, Arvind Krishna Mehrotra, Mamang Dai, Gieve Patel, Adil Jussawalla, Javed Akhtar, K. Satchidanandan, Jayanta Mahapatra, Gulzar, Keki Daruwalla, Vikram Seth, and Joy Goswami.