The IAS/IPS Officers Society clubhouse in New Chandigarh was filled with literary enthusiasm on Saturday as the first-ever Wise Owl Literary Awards honored outstanding achievements in Poetry, Fiction, and Non-Fiction.
The awards were founded by Harmeet Singh and Rachna Singh, a husband-and-wife duo who left their careers as Principal Commissioners of Income Tax to follow their passion for literature and art. After settling in Chandigarh, Rachna Singh expanded her writing portfolio, with her latest book being Raghu Rai: Waiting for the Divine. In November 2021, she launched The Wise Owl, an international literary and art e-magazine. The magazine’s growing popularity inspired the couple to establish an annual literary award to recognize exceptional writers in India.
Celebrating Literary Brilliance
The awards ceremony attracted a distinguished audience of authors, critics, and literature enthusiasts. Attendees engaged in thought-provoking discussions and interactive sessions. The judging panel featured notable literary figures such as Navjot Kaur, Ramendra Kumar, Vivek Atray, and Taseer Gujral.
The awards were presented in three categories:
- Poetry: The top honor went to Anthropocene by Sudeep Sen, while Smitha Sehgal’s How Women Become Poems in Malabar and Rochelle Potkar’s Coins in Rivers secured the first and second runner-up positions, respectively.
- Fiction: Eden Abandoned by Shinie Antony won the category, with The Blue Bar by Damyanti Biswas and Taxi by Manjula Padmanabhan as runners-up.
- Non-Fiction: The winner was The Day I Became a Runner by Sohini Chattopadhyay, followed by Sacred Sins by Arun Ezhuthachan and An Inky Paradise by Pradeep Sebastian.
Engaging Discussions and Cultural Performances
The evening included an engaging session titled The Lit Verdict with Jury (Fiction), moderated by Ranjit Powar. Special discussions with the award winners—Sudeep Sen, Smitha Sehgal, Shinie Antony, and Arun Ezhuthachan—provided insights into their creative processes.
Adding a cultural touch to the event, Bharatanatyam dancer Mugdha Asnikar delivered a captivating performance, leaving the audience mesmerized.
A Tradition in the Making
Rachna Singh, editor of The Wise Owl, described the awards as a tribute to the power of storytelling. Harmeet Singh, the founding editor, expressed his commitment to making the Wise Owl Literary Awards an annual event that will continue to recognize and celebrate literary excellence.
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