Holding the first ceremony of Surama Chowdhury Memorial International Award in literature and journalism, the Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM) decided to award four personalities who had left a mark in Bengali literature and journalism with the highest ever prize money.

Atin Bandopadhyay was awarded for his novel Neelkantha Pakhir Khoje, Abul Bhaskar for his novel Phool Bou, Syed Mustafa Siraj for his novel Aleek Manush and Gourkishore Ghosh, the celebrated writer-journalist and Magsaysay award winner, was also awarded posthumously for his novel Prem Nei.

Each awardee received a citation and a gold medal apart from the prize money. The IIPM has also announced instituting Gourkishore Ghosh Memorial Endowment with Rs 10 lakhs to annually award talents in Bengali literature or journalism with a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh.

“I am glad that the IIPM has decided to confer this award to the much deserved literary artists of Bengal,” said author Shirshendu Mukhopadyay, who jointly handed out the awards with M K Chaudhuri, fouder director, IIPM.