Asha Bage is Vidarbha's first and Maharashtra's sixth female writer to bag the award. Bage will receive it on February 20 at a function in New Delhi.
NAGPUR: The fragrance of the roses is still fresh. The bouquets - with their fresh flowers, and a range of them - decorate the corners of the room. It's owner, 68-year-old Asha Bage, sits on a chair in a corner wearing an affable smile. And, why not? She's the recipient of this year's Sahitya Akademi award.
"It's a very special moment," Bage said in a sudden burst of euphoria.
Awards are not new for this writer of human psychology. Bage has many credits to her name in her writing career that spans for almost 35 years. Bage is a writer of human relations, struggle and mood. She is known for her eye on contemporary human issues. She is Vidarbha's first and Maharashtra's sixth female writer to bag the award. Bage will receive it on February 20 at a function in New Delhi.
"It's a well-deserved felicitation to a deserving author. Her contribution to Marathi literature is rich," litterateurs said.
"I write about human relationships, human moods, all different from the other," said Bage. She entered the literary world with her first novel, 'Manaswini'.
In the formative years, Bage minutely observed a range of moods and natures that exemplify human behaviour. "I saw a blend of good and bad virtues, moods, forming a rainbow of human colours. They are never the same," she said.
Bhoomi, her novel that bagged the 'Sahitya Akademi' award, was penned after her visit to Kadlur, a coastal village in Tamil Nadu, a few years back. It took three years to complete the novel, which hit the stands in December 2004.
The village that got destroyed in the 2004 Tsunami provided the perfect setting for the novel. The protagonist is a girl, who lost her parents in the tragedy and moves to Mumbai with her aunt. The book was published by 'Mauj Prakashan' in Mumbai.
The same novel had bagged last year's Maharashtra Foundation award for best literary work. Many of her short stories have been translated into English and other regional languages. She's the recipient of an award from Katha, New Delhi.
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