Akademi Fellowship for Prafulla Mohanti

KENDRAPARA: Noted writer and painter Prafulla Mohanti (86) will be conferred Honorary Fellowship- 2022 by Sahitya Akademi.“This is the highest honour conferred on literary persons of  outstanding merit who are not nationals of India. In 2021, Prof Michael J Hutt and in 2010 Sir VS Naipaul were conferred the Honorary Fellowship by Sahitya Akademi,” said convener of Odia advisory board of Sahitya Akademi, Bijayananda Singh. Mohanti will be bestowed the honour at a function in New Delhi on November 15.

The India-born British citizen originally hails from Nanpur village in Jajpur district. Through his paintings and books. ‘My Village, My Life’, ‘Changing life and  Indian village tales’ and others, Mohanti carried his culture everywhere. His books depicting rural life at his native riverside village are immensely popular, especially in the West. Mohanti has held more than 60 exhibitions  of his paintings in Europe, America, Japan and India.

For the Octogenarian, a graduate from JJ School of Art in Mumbai, village culture is a major source of inspiration for his creative works. He learnt painting from his mother and loved to paint the walls of his house with rice flour. The accomplished writer spends around three months in his village where he has carried out several development works.Mohanti’s residence at 20, Sussex Road in London is the hub of many Indian writers.