The Sahitya Akademi Award is the second-highest literary honor in India. The Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, aims at "promoting Indian literature throughout the world". The Akademi annually confers on writers of "the most outstanding books of literary merit". The awards are given for works published in any of the 24 languages recognised by the akademi. Instituted in 1954, the award recognizes and promotes excellence in writing and acknowledge new trends. The annual process of selecting awardees runs for the preceding twelve months. As of 2015, the award comprises a plaque and a cash prize of .

The inaugural edition of the award recognised works in twelve languages – Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. In Tamil, the first recipient of the award was R. P. Sethu Pillai, who was honored for his collection of essays entitled Tamil Inbam in 1955. Posthumous recipients of the award include Kalki Krishnamurthy (1956), Bharathidasan (1969), Ku. Alagirisami (1970), Aadhavan Sundaram (1987), C. S. Chellappa (2001), Melanmai Ponnusamy (2008). , the award has been presented to 67 writers.

Rules and criteria for submissions Although the Akademi is under the control of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, it functions as an autonomous body. To be eligible for the award, the work must be an "outstanding contribution to the language and literature to which it belongs". It can be a "creative" or a "critical" work; translations, anthologies, abridgments, compilations, annotation, and research papers are ineligible. To contest in a particular year, the work must have been published during the last five years, prior to the preceding year. In case of tiebreakers, the literary contribution and "standing" of the authors would be taken into consideration. Only Indian nationals are eligible for the award. The award will be not be given if there are no more than two contestants in the final round. The works of authors who have been awarded earlier by the Akademi – translation prize, Bal Sahitya Puraskar and Yuva Puraskar are exceptions though – are ineligible. Further, the author must not be a recipient of the Bhasha Samman or the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship. The works of members of the executive board of the Akademi are ineligible for the award. Incomplete works may be considered for the award only if a part of the work, under which it competes, is deemed "complete". A posthumous publication is eligible only if the author has been deceased for over five years starting from the current year. The Akademi does not consider direct submissions from authors or publishers.

Selection process The Akademi will prepare a "ground list", shortlisted from a set of eligible books in each of the recognized languages. Each language will have an "Advisory Board" member, who will shortlist and form and send a panel consisting of not more than five members to the President of the Akademi.

The preliminary panel consists of ten referees, who are nominated by the President upon requests received from the members of the "Advisory Board". The recommendations received from members of the "Advisory Board" of each languages will be compiled and sent to the corresponding referees, who in turn will select two entries. A committee of three members, selected by the President, out of a panel of seven names recommended by the Language "Advisory Board", chooses the awardee in each language. The jury members are selected by the President after considering the recommendations in this behalf by the members of the Language Advisory Board concerned. The Akademi purchases the books recommended by the referees in the preliminary round and sends them to the jury members and the Convener. The jury members arrive at the winners, based on consensus or by majority. The jury also has the right to declare that no book is eligible for the award during a particular year.

List of recipients

+Key Denotes posthumous recipients

+List of recipients, year, and workYearportraitRecipientWorkCategory 1955 Tamil Inbam collection of essays 1956 Alai Osai Novel 1957 No award 1958 Chakravarti Tirumagan Retelling of the Ramayana 1959 No award 1960 No award 1961 Agal Vilakku Novel 1962 — Akkarai Cheemaiyil Aarumathangal Travelogue 1963 Vengaiyin Maindhan Historic novel 1964 No award 1965 Sri Ramanujar Biography 1966 Vallalar Kanda Orumaippaadu Biography 1967 Virar Ulagam Literary criticism 1968 Vellai Paravai poetry 1969 Pisirantaiyar Play 1970 Anbalippu Short stories 1971 Samudaya Veedhi Novel 1972 Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal Novel 1973 — Verukku Neer Novel 1974 — Thirukkural Needhi Illakkiyam Literary criticism 1975 — Tharkkala Tamizh Illakkiyam Literary criticism 1976 No award 1977 — Kuruthip Punal Novel 1978 — Pudukavithaiyin Thottramum Valarchiyum Criticism 1979 — Sakthi Vaithiyam Short stories 1980 Cheraman Kadali Novel 1981 — Puthiya Urai Nadai Criticism 1982 — Manikkodikalam Literary history 1983 — Bharathi: Kalamum Karuthum Literary criticism 1984 — Lakshmi Oru Kaveriyai Pola Novel 1985 — Kamban: Putiya Parvai Literary criticism 1986 — Ilakkiyathukku oru Iyakkam Literary criticism 1987 — Mudalil Iravu Varum Short stories 1988 Vaazhum Valluvam Literary criticism 1989 — Chintanadi Autobiographical Essays 1990 — Veril Pazhutha Pala Novel 1991 Gopallapurathu Makkal Novel 1992 Kutralakurinji historic novel 1993 Kathukal Novel 1994 Pudhiya Dharsanangal Novel 1995 Vanam Vasappadum Novel 1996 Appavin Snehidar Short stories 1997 — Chaivu Narkali Novel 1998 Visaranai Commission Novel 1999 — Aalapanai Poetry 2000 Vimarsanangal Mathippuraikal Pettikal Literary criticism 2001 — Sutanthira Daagam NovelAwarded Posthumously 2002 Oru Giraamattu Nadi Poetry 2003 Kallikattu Ithikasam Novel 2004 — Vanakkam Valluva Poetry 2005 — Kalmaram Novel 2006 — Akayathukku Aduthaveedu Poetry 2007 Ilai Uthir Kaalam Novel 2008 Minsarapoo Short story 2009 — Kaioppam Poetry 2010 Soodiya Poo Soodarka Short stories 2011 Kaval Kottam Novelசு.வெங்கடேசனுக்கு இந்த ஆண்டுக்கான சாகித்ய அகாதமி விருது 2012 Thol Novel2013 korkai Novel2014 — Agngnaadi Novel2015 — Ilakkiya suvadugal Essays2016 Oru Siru Isai Short stories2017 —InkulabKaandhal NaatkalPoetry2018 Sanjaaram Novel2019 Cho.DharmanSoolNovel2020 Imaiyam Sellaatha PanamNovel2021 C. S. Lakshmi (Ambai)Sivappu Kazhuthudan Oru Pachai ParavaiShort Stories2022 Dr. M. Rajendran IASKaala PaaniNovel2023 —Rajasekaran (Devibharathi)Neervazhi PaduvumNovel2024 —A. R. VenkatachalapathyTirunelveeli Ezucciyum Vaa. Vuu.ci. Yum 1908Research2025 S. TamilselvanTamizh Sirukathaiyin ThadankalLiterary Criticism

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