Suryasnata Tripathy to receive SOA Yuva Sahitya Puraskar-2025

Acclaimed Odia poet and writer Suryasnata Tripathy will be honoured with the SOA Yuva Sahitya Puraskar 2025 during the valedictory session of the 3rd SOA Literary Festival to be held at Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, on November 30.

Tripathy has been unanimously nominated by the Jury Board for his short story collection ‘Thia Puchi Naranga’, published by Barsha Publication in 2024. The collection features 12 finely crafted stories that reflect his keen insight into human emotion and contemporary experience.

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He currently serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at IIT Ropar.

Born in 1991, Suryasnata Tripathy is the author of seven poetry anthologies, one short story collection, and an Odia translation of Dharamvir Bharati’s ‘Kanupriya’. Recipient of the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar (2017), he is also an accomplished playwright associated with Hyderabad-based theatre groups KASH, Kissa Go and Play of Shiva, for which he has written several acclaimed plays, including Botal Arz Hai, Lash’t Wish, Generations and Newton. His recent venture into cinema includes the Odia feature film ‘Indradhanu’, along with two short films, ‘Maatimuhana’ (Odia) and ‘Khidkiyaan’ (Hindi).

Instituted this year, the SOA Yuva Sahitya Puraskar seeks to encourage and celebrate emerging voices in Odia literature, recognising originality and promise across genres such as poetry, fiction, drama, and criticism. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 1,00,000, along with a citation, a silver plaque, and a shawl.

Legendary poet, lyricist, scriptwriter and social thinker Javed Akhtar will be presented the SOA Sahitya Samman for 2025 for his outstanding and lifelong contribution to Indian cinema and literature during the inaugural session of the 3rd SOA Literary Festival on November 29. The SOA Literary Festival, organised by SOA and conducted by its centre PPRACHIN, will be held on November 29 and 30 with the theme ‘Culture, Creativity and Artificial Intelligence’.

Around 100 eminent writers, poets, artists, and thinkers from across India will participate in the festival, which will feature 30 sessions over two days, said Prof. Gayatribala Panda, Head of PPRACHIN and Festival Director.