AI Generated Summary
- It was released at the 66th SAARC FOSWAL Literature Festival at the Academy of Fine Arts and Literature in New Delhi in November last year, where it received appreciation from writers and critics.
- She said it was remarkable for a writer of his age to weave together themes of human relationships, mythology and contemporary thought in a first collection.
- The Language Department, Punjab, which formally announced the selection, said the award carries a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh, along with a departmental shawl and a commemorative plaque.
A young student from Ludhiana district has earned a major literary distinction with his very first book of poetry. Surkhab, a Class XI student of Green Grove Public School, Mohanpur, has been selected for the inaugural Surjit Patar Student Award for his debut collection, Vaitarni.
A resident of Ghudani Kalan village, Surkhab was chosen for the honour following an evaluation of entries received from student writers across Punjab. The award has been instituted by the Punjab Government in memory of celebrated Punjabi poet and Padma Shri awardee Surjit Patar.
The Language Department, Punjab, which formally announced the selection, said the award carries a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh, along with a departmental shawl and a commemorative plaque. Surkhab will receive the honour at a state-level function scheduled to be held in November.
Jaswant Singh Zafar, Director of the Language Department, said the initiative was open to students studying in schools, colleges and universities and had attracted several entries in its inaugural year. Interestingly, all the submissions received this year were works of poetry.
A three-member panel of literary experts examined the entries before selecting Vaitarni for the award. Zafar said Surkhab’s work stood out for its sensitivity and depth, adding that the emergence of promising young writers reflected an encouraging literary consciousness among students.
He said nurturing such voices was important for carrying forward the literary tradition represented by Patar and encouraging a new generation to engage seriously with creative writing.
Published by Sachal Prakashan, Amritsar, Vaitarni is a collection of 100 poems exploring a range of emotions, relationships and ideas. The book had already drawn attention in literary circles before the announcement of the award. It was released at the 66th SAARC FOSWAL Literature Festival at the Academy of Fine Arts and Literature in New Delhi in November last year, where it received appreciation from writers and critics.
For Surkhab, poetry appears to have grown out of a broader fascination with art and observation. His father, Sandeep Sharma, who serves as District Language Officer, said the young poet had long displayed an interest in colours, imagery and the finer details of everyday life.
According to Sharma, his son has a habit of closely observing people and situations and transforming seemingly small emotions into poetry. Despite the significance of becoming the first recipient of the award, he said Surkhab was still coming to terms with the recognition that his debut work had brought him.
The achievement has also been welcomed by the management and staff of Green Grove Public School. Principal Suzi George said Surkhab had made the institution proud and described his accomplishment as an inspiration for fellow students.
She said it was remarkable for a writer of his age to weave together themes of human relationships, mythology and contemporary thought in a first collection. The maturity and depth reflected in his poems, she added, had taken many at the school by surprise.
With Vaitarni bringing him the first Surjit Patar Student Award, Surkhab has begun his literary journey with a distinction created specifically to recognise and encourage young writing talent.
