Arnab Jan Deka
Arnab Jan Deka is a novelist, short story writer, poet, playwright, screenwriter, documentary film director, columnist, TV actor, jurist, river engineer and eco-technocrat. He authored 131 fiction and non-fiction books (two of them being co-authored with British and American authors respectively) and edited 14 more books in English, Assamese, Hindi and Bengali. He was also editor of a journal and a newspaper. India Government's official Academy of Letters Sahitya Academy incorporated his biography as one among the top Indian writers of the 20th Century in the End Century Edition of Who's Who of Indian Writers 1999. 'NE Live' listed him as one of the "Top 5 Contemporary Writers from Assam who have made it big outside the state also" which include such other literary stalwarts like Dr Indira Goswami, Homen Borgohain and Nirupama Borgohain, who "have not only contributed to the literary wealth of the state, they have also enlightened the world about the life and culture of Assam through their writing." In a critical literary essay 'New generation of storytellers' he has been described as one among "the bunch of most powerful storytellers" who "delved deep into the spiritual and intellectual heritage along the Brahmaputra valley, and also highlighted its environmental fragility."
He is the recipient of Assam Government's Publication Board Golden Jubilee Novel Award in 2006 for his classical novel Bhaba Ananda Sambad ('Tales of Bhabananda'). The Katha International Short Story Festival held in New Delhi in January, 2004, awarded him with the Katha-Goriyoshi Award for his short-story Himalayan Mystic Meeting. He is also a recipient of the Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray Memorial Award (Smarak Samman) 2010 in Calcutta, conferred upon him in recognition of his lifetime contributions to literature, art and scientific research.
He is the international chairman of the Indo-British environmental project Save the Brahmaputra River.
He was the youngest Indian radio playwright. His first radio-play Mukti ('Freedom') was broadcast by All India Radio in 1981 while he was a school student. His first authored book Ephanki Rhode ('A Stanza of Sunlight') was published in 1983.
His documentary film on saint-artist-littérateur Srimanta Sankardev had been publicly screened in several countries.
He is the recipient of Assam Government's Publication Board Golden Jubilee Novel Award in 2006 for his classical novel Bhaba Ananda Sambad ('Tales of Bhabananda'). The Katha International Short Story Festival held in New Delhi in January, 2004, awarded him with the Katha-Goriyoshi Award for his short-story Himalayan Mystic Meeting. He is also a recipient of the Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray Memorial Award (Smarak Samman) 2010 in Calcutta, conferred upon him in recognition of his lifetime contributions to literature, art and scientific research.
He is the international chairman of the Indo-British environmental project Save the Brahmaputra River.
He was the youngest Indian radio playwright. His first radio-play Mukti ('Freedom') was broadcast by All India Radio in 1981 while he was a school student. His first authored book Ephanki Rhode ('A Stanza of Sunlight') was published in 1983.
His documentary film on saint-artist-littérateur Srimanta Sankardev had been publicly screened in several countries.