New Delhi: The Sahitya Akademi held a condolence meeting at its office in New Delhi to mourn the demise of eminent novelist, poet and Akademi’s Mahattar Sadasya (Senior Fellow) Vinod Kumar Shukla, remembering him as a writer whose work carried the purity and resonance of sacred hymns.
The meeting began with a two-minute silence in his memory. Sahitya Akademi Secretary Pallavi Prashant Holkar, along with several officials and staff members of the Akademi, attended the condolence gathering. Following the reading of the official condolence message, the Secretary announced a half-day closure of the Sahitya Akademi’s Delhi office as well as all its regional offices as a mark of respect.
In her tribute, the Secretary said that Vinod Kumar Shukla, an unparalleled prose stylist and poet in Hindi literature, passed away on December 23, leaving behind a vast literary legacy. She described him as a chronicler, interpreter and spokesperson of the “great everyday life,” for whom writing was as natural as breathing. “That is why Vinod Kumar Shukla’s entire body of work appears like a sacred ṛcha—pure, meditative and timeless,” she said.
Vinod Kumar Shukla’s writing was widely admired for its simple yet profound language, deep sensitivity and distinctive touch of magical realism. Through an understated narrative style, he portrayed ordinary life, solitude, hope and human relationships with remarkable emotional depth and quiet power.
Among his most celebrated novels are Naukar Ki Kameez, Khilega To Dekhenge, Deewar Mein Ek Khidki Rehti Thi, Hari Ghaas Ki Chhappar Wali Jhopdi Aur Bauna Pahad, Yasi Rasa Ta, and Ek Chuppi Jagah. His notable short story collections include Ped Par Kamra, Mahavidyalaya and Ghoda Aur Anya Kahaniyan. His poetry collections—Lagbhag Jaihind, Wah Aadmi Naya Garam Coat Pehankar Chala Gaya Vichar Ki Tarah, Sab Kuchh Hona Bacha Rahega, Atirikt Nahi, Kavita Se Lambi Kavita and Kabhi Ke Baad Abhi—remain landmarks in modern Hindi poetry.
Several of his works have been translated into Marathi, Malayalam, English and German, extending his literary influence beyond linguistic boundaries. His iconic novel Naukar Ki Kameez was also adapted into a memorable art film of the same name by acclaimed filmmaker Mani Kaul, further cementing its place in Indian cultural history.
Vinod Kumar Shukla was the recipient of numerous prestigious honours, including the Sahitya Akademi Award, the Jnanpith Award, the Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh Fellowship, Akhil Bharatiya Bhavani Prasad Mishra Samman, Srijan Bharatiya Samman, Raghuvir Sahay Smriti Puraskar, Shikhar Samman, Rashtriya Maithilisharan Gupt Samman, Rachna Samagra Puraskar and the Hindi Gaurav Samman.
The Sahitya Akademi described his passing as an irreparable loss to Indian literature, stating that his quiet, introspective voice will continue to guide generations of readers and writers. Expressing profound grief, the Akademi paid its humble tribute to a writer whose words transformed the ordinary into the sacred.
