6 February 2024/
EIGHTH EDITION OF VANI FOUNDATION DISTINGUISHED TRANSLATOR AWARD 2023-2024 RECOGNIZES ÒSCAR PUJOL FOR SANSKRIT-SPANISH TRANSLATION EXCELLENCE
Vani Foundation presented an exclusive award to renowned author and translator Òscar Pujol for his exceptional contribution towards creating an unprecedented bridge between Sanskrit and Spanish languages, during the prestigious Jaipur Literature Festival 2024 at Mughal Tent on 4 February 2024.
The Vani Foundation Distinguished Translator Award, presented in collaboration with Teamwork Arts at the Jaipur BookMark during the Jaipur Literature Festival, recognises translators fostering literary and linguistic exchange between at least two Indian or international languages, now carries a monetary prize of one lakh Indian rupees along with a trophy and testimonial letter.
The distinguished jury for this award includes Namita Gokhale, Co-Director of Jaipur Literature Festival and Sahitya Akademi Award recipient; Arunava Sinha, translator, author and recipient of the 6th Vani Foundation Distinguished Translator Award and Yatindra Mishra, renowned poet, biographer and music scholar, who received the ‘Swarn Kamal’.
“This year’s awardee, Òscar Pujol, is truly outstanding in his passion for Sanskrit and his deep scholarship,” said Namita Gokhale, a jury member since the award’s inception, expressed her admiration.
Yatindra Mishra, a national award-winning author and previous jury member of the National Film Awards of India, highlighted Pujol’s contribution, stating, “Òscar Pujol’s literary oeuvre is a testimony to the fact that the serious engagement with Indian languages, literature, and culture is becoming popular worldwide.”
Òscar Pujol holds a doctorate in Sanskrit from Banaras Hindu University and has dedicated his life to an extensive engagement with India.
With roles as the director of Cervantes Institutes in New Delhi and Rio de Janeiro and director of educational programs at Casa Asia, Òscar Pujol is the author of several books including the acclaimed Diccionari Sànscrit-Català, Diccionari Sànscrit-Español, La ilusión fecunda and Samkara’s Thought. His latest translation, La Bhagavadgita, has been well-received, establishing him as a ‘Karmayogi’ and ‘Bhasha Premi’ for his commitment to the Sanskrit language, says the press release issued on the award ceremony held at Jaipur.
“Translations allow us to access the rich diversity of stories across languages. Vani Foundations Distinguished Translator Award has helped focus on the art of translation and has brought to the fore some of the best works from across the country,” said Sanjoy Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts emphasized the significance of translation and encouraged direct exchange between Indian and international languages.
Previous recipients of the Vani Foundation Distinguished Translator Award include eminent writers Attoor Ravi Verma (Malayalam), Anamika (Bhojpuri), Rita Kothari (Sindhi), Teji Grover (Hindi), Rakhshanda Jalil (Urdu), Arunava Sinha (Bangla) and Daisy Rockwell (Hindi and Urdu).
Arun Maheshwari, Managing Director of Vani Prakashan Group and Chairman of Vani Foundation congratulated Shri Òscar Pujol for receiving this year’s Vani Foundations Distinguished Translator Award 2024 and also expressed immense gratitude to the jury and Teamwork Arts for their support to make the event a grand success.
Vani Prakashan Group, the country’s oldest and premier publishing house, in its 51st anniversary, laid the foundation for its not-for-profit arm Vani Foundation for promoting an initiative to encourage literary exchange between Indian languages. The foundation works in the field of translation and instituted the prestigious Vani Foundation Distinguished Translator Award with the Jaipur BookMark and Teamwork Arts. The award honors those translators who have consistently and qualitatively facilitated literary and linguistic exchange between at least two Indian languages, provides a public platform for the translators and writers, and marks an opportunity to showcase their work to a larger audience.
