Eminent Hindi litterateur Narendra Kohli has been selected for the prestigious Vyas Samman for 2012 for his historical novel 'Na Bhooto Na Bhavishyati' which is based on Swami Vivekananda and the era he belonged to.
Instituted by the K K Birla Foundation in 1991, the award is given annually for an outstanding literary work in Hindi published during the past 10 years. The award carries a cash purse of Rs 2.5 lakh.
'Na Bhooto Na Bhavishyati', published in 2004, gives an account of the incredible impression that Vivekananda cast on the history of the country and its culture.
The selection has been made by a committee presided by noted writer and former head of Lucknow University's Department of Hindi, Surya Prasad Dixit.
Kohli, 73, is credited with reinventing the ancient form of epic writing in modern prose. He is also regarded as a trend-setter in the sense that he pioneered the creation of literary works based on the "Puranas".
Kohli has published 76 books including short story collections, novels and plays.
He was born on January 6, 1940 at Sialkot in Punjab province of undivided India.
