Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 15: Renowned Punjabi fiction writer of Jammu & Kashmir (UT) have been selected for the international Dhahan Prize- 2024 to be given to her during Award Ceremony being organized on 14th November, 2014 at Vancouver, Canada. This was announced by Dhahan Prize Committee in Canada. Three Awards have been announced from the shortlist of seven works of fiction. Announcement of these awards have been drawn among the 54 admirable submissions in Punjabi (Gurmukhi and Shahmukhi) received this year from authors and publishers in India, Pakistan, USA and Canada. One Prize for 25,000 Canadian Dollars and two Finalist Awards of 10,000 Canadian Dollars each and a Prize for 6,000 Canadian Dollars for translation work from other languages to Punjabi (in Gurmukhi or Shahmukhi).
Punjabi short stories collection, titled ‘Taboo’ in Gurmukhi by Surinder Neer from Jammu (Jammu & Kashmir); the book titled ‘Safety Kit’ in Gurmukhi by Jinder from Jalandhar (Punjab) and the book ‘Jungle Raakhe Jag De’ in Shahmukhi by Shahzad Aslam from Lahore (Pakistan) have been declared for three Dhahan Prizes for the year- 2024.
A resident of Jammu, Surinder Kour (pen name: Surinder Neer) was born in village Kangaloora, Tral, Kashmir in 1964. She had aptitude in creative writing from her childhood. Married to Dr. Baljit Singh Raina who is also a renowned writer, poet & playwright as well as TV & Films Director & Producer, she has contributed three Punjabi short story collections, titled ‘Ddastak Di Udeek’- 2002; Khul Ja Sim Sim- 2009 and ‘Taboo’- 2023 and three Punjabi novels, titled ‘Shikaargah’- 2010; ‘Maya’- 2013 and ‘Chashme Bulbul’- 2019. She is also a presenter of Radio & T V programmes.
For her contribution in the field of Punjabi literature, Surinder Neer has been awarded & honoured by many prestigious Punjabi language organizations. These awards & honours are: Best Book Yuva Writer Principal Sujan Singh Award from Punjab for Punjabi short stories book ‘Dastak Di Udeek’- 2002; Best Book Award for ‘Shikargah’ (Novel) from Jammu & Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture & Languages - 2012; Best Novel Award for ‘Shikargah’ from Sahit Sabha, Jagraon, Punjab- 2013; Best Eminent Writer Award from Punjabi University, Patiala- 2014; Shah Chaman Yaadgari Purskar- 2017. Four Ph.D Researches are being done on her creative works (three in Punjabi and one in Hindi) in various Universities of India. |
