New Delhi: Twenty four eminent writers were today conferred with the Sahitya Akademi awards for 2007 for their contribution to literature.

Novels were among the most popular genre of literature to have got the awards with eight writers, including veteran Assamese writer Purabi Bormudoi, presented with the prize for their novels.

Six collection of poems, three short story collections, three plays, two books of criticism and an equal number of biographies were among those awarded.

Some of the eminent writers who received the awards were Samarendra Gupta in Bengali, Amarkant in Hindi, Rattan Lal Shant in Kashmiri and Malathi Rao in English.

The awards were given away by newly-elected President of the Akademi noted Bengali author Sunil Gangopadhyay.

Lamenting the less number of women awardees, Gangopadhyay said that from next year the Akademi would invest more time in researching for women authors.

"I always feel that there are much less number of women awardees," he said adding from next year "we will research more on lady writers".

Some of the other writers who were presented with the awards were Gian Singh Pagoch for Dogri, Rajendra Shukla for Gujarati, Devidas R Kadam for Konkani and Pradip Bihari for Maithili.
Source : PTI