Namita Gokhale conferred Bhartendu Harishchandra lifetime achievement award

Noted author, editor and literary activist Namita Gokhale , who is also the co-founder and director of the Jaipur Literature Festival , has been conferred the Bhartendu Harishchandra Lifetime Achievement Award , the organisers of the Banaras Lit Fest announced.

The Bhartendu Harishchandra Lifetime Achievement Award is a prestigious literary honour presented by the Banaras Lit Fest to recognise a writer’s lifelong and sustained contribution to literature rather than a single work. Named after Bhartendu Harishchandra , widely regarded as the pioneer of modern Hindi literature , the award symbolises a bridge between India’s literary traditions and contemporary creative expression. It is considered one of the highest recognitions bestowed by the festival.

Described by the organisers as “the pinnacle of an extraordinary literary year,” the award acknowledges Gokhale’s multifaceted, long-lasting and influential contribution to Indian literature, marked by a confluence of languages, generations and genres. The honour recognises authors whose work has shaped literary discourse across languages, encouraged cultural dialogue and strengthened the literary ecosystem, and is seen as a recognition of both creative excellence and enduring influence.

Expressing gratitude on receiving the honour, Gokhale said it was both an honour and an emotional moment to receive a lifetime achievement award named after Bhartendu Harishchandra. “The tradition of Indian literature has given me my voice, and contemporary times challenge me to continually find it. Platforms like the Banaras Lit Fest, which centre dialogue, diversity and creativity, are vital to our literary future,” she said in a statement.

Gokhale has authored 26 books spanning fiction, non-fiction, mythology and history, with her writing often engaging with themes of gender, culture and tradition. A significant voice in contemporary Indian writing in English, she has also been closely associated with initiatives promoting Indian languages and literature.

She earlier received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2021 for her historical novel Things to Leave Behind . Some of her most celebrated works include Paro: Dreams of Passion , Gods, Graves, and Grandmother , and The Blind Matriarch .

The organisers said the Banaras Lit Fest Book Awards, conceived with the dignity and scope of leading global literary prizes, honour outstanding works of fiction, poetry, non-fiction and translation in English, Hindi and other Indian languages, reflecting a commitment to literary values rooted in tradition while engaging with contemporary realities.