Achyutananda Pati, Daisy Rockwell picked for Kalinga Literary awards

In keeping with its theme of celebrating literary diversity, the Kalinga Literary Festival (KLF) 2026 (January 8-11) has announced a slew of awards, recognising outstanding contributions to literature, translation, cultural dialogue across India, South Asia, and the world.

Noted Odia writer Achyutananda Pati is being honoured with the Kalinga Literary Award (India) for his short stories on the lives of marginalised people. The Kalinga Literary Award (International) will be conferred on writer and translator Daisy Rockwell. Her translation of Geetanjali Shree’s Ret Samadhi (Tomb of Sand) won both of them the International Booker Prize in 2022.

Writer and poet Ranjana Niraula of Nepal has bagged the Kalinga Literary Award (Youth). With her stories, she has encouraged a new generation to engage deeply with the shared literary traditions of India, Nepal, and the wider South Asian region.

For strengthening Nepal-India relations, the International Living Legend Award 2026 is being conferred on Dr. Binod Chaudhury, a Kalinga Literary Festival release announced.