BALASORE: Author Monalisa Jena will be honoured with Kanhei Katha Puraskar 2017 for her outstanding contribution to Odia fiction and other literary activities. The award is given to an Odia fiction writer every year by Kanheilal Smruti Sansada in memory of writer Kanheilal Das, who died in his pre-youth.
The award will be presented on June 26 at Balasore on the occasion of Kanhei Jayanti Utsava.Jena, a Ravenshaw alumnus, has authored several original books and translated many more from Odia to English and vice versa. She is also a lecturer, a scribe and is best known as a poet.
Jena is the recipient of Central Sahitya Akademi Award for translation this year and was also presented the State Sahitya Akademi Award in 2007.The writer has published around 17 books which include ‘Indramalatira Shoka’, ‘E Sabu Dhrubamuhurta’ and ‘Nisarga Dhwani’.