Noted Hindi litterateur and Jnanpith award winner Amarkant today breathed his last at his residence here following a prolonged illness.
He was 89.
Born in 1925 in Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh, Amarkant took active part in the Quit India movement of 1942, which caused him to abandon his studies for a few years.
Later on, he completed his graduation from Allahabad University and pursued his career as a journalist with a number of local Hindi newspapers.
Recognition came late to the writer, who wielded his pen with equal felicity in short stories and novels and was noted for his authentic portrayal of lives of the common people in the Hindi heartland, which often led to his works being compared to that of the legendary Prem Chand.
He received the Sahitya Akademi award in 2007 for his novel "Inhin Hathiyaron se", a voluminous work set against the backdrop of the Quit India Movement.
The book also earned him the Vyas Samman in 2009, the year which saw him being conferred with the "Jnanpith Award" alongside reputed Hindi satirist Shree Lal Shukla of "Raag Darbari" fame.
His other novels include "Sukha Patta", "Akash Pakshi", "Kale-Ujle Din" and "Khudiram".
He is survived by two sons and a daughter.
