Odisha Writer Mahasweta Sahu Selected For ‘Timepass Booker Puraskar’

Bhubaneswar: Writer Mahasweta Sahu has been selected for the 16th ‘Timepass Booker Puraskar’ for her short story manuscript “Octopusra Atma” this year.

The prize, which is announced annually to a below 45-year-old Odia fiction writer, will be presented during a literary festival and the winning manuscript will be published as a book.

This year’s nominees for the “Timepass Bestseller Puraskar,” which is awarded to the book chosen by readers as their favorite, are Kshirod Parida’s “Nobel Bijayi Kathakarnka Atmakathan” in the feature category, Biyot Projna Tripathy’s “Srestha Galpa” in short-story, Krushna Kumar Mohanty’s “Ruby Roy” in poetry, and Debabrat Das’s “Tha” in fiction.

Saral Kumar Das will be conferred “Timepass Bahibandhu Samman” as he works selflessly to promote Odia literature and books.

Timepass has arranged the fourth edition of the ‘Utsahitya’ event on December 24 to felicitate the awardees. Several well-known and upcoming writers from Odisha, including well-known Bengali writer Jayanta Dey, will participate in the programme.

Saroj Bal, director of the publication, said the event will include discussions, a poetry catwalk, musical cocktails, film screenings, writer gossip, poetry and picture duets, book launches, interviews, and Q&A sessions on a range of literary topics.