कथा यात्रा
कुसुम नारायण "नारायणी"
THE NARAYANI AWARD
has been instituted by her family in the memory of the prolific writer Kusum Narain (1931-2015), who wrote over one hundred and fifty short stories and three novels under the pen name of Narayani. Her stories were published in renowned Hindi magazines including ‘Kahaanikaar’, ‘Nihaarika’, ‘Kaadambini’, ‘Manorama', ‘Anima’, ‘Navneet', ‘Apporva', ‘Sarita', ‘Mukta', ‘Dharmayug’, ‘Lakshyved’, ‘Grihshobha’, and ‘Sanchetna'. Several of her works were broadcast on All India Radio from Jaipur, Nagpur and Lucknow stations and some have been translated in other languages as well. Her writings covered a range of topics from serious social issues to the intricacies of day to day relationships and family life. She also wrote several short stories for children, the majority of which were published in ‘Champak’.
The award, which is being launched in collaboration with the Delhi Press group of publications, aims to encourage and recognize story writing in Hindi. Every year, an amount of Rupees One Lakh will be awarded to the winner or winners. The rules of the award will be announced in November; please see the section titled ‘Announcement’ in this website for the current rules.
What her peers said about her writing:
"Narayani sees the family as the central structure of society, and it is through this lens that she examines its fault lines as they propagate outwards and encompass society as a whole. The reader joins her in a journey of introspection as it weaves through the daily routines and humdrum existence of middle class India, little realizing that from the simplicity of the narrative will emerge a formidable story which presents deep and significant issues that confront society as it seeks to balance between modernity and tradition...." Sushma Shrivastava
"Narayani’s stories entertain and enlighten the reader at the same time, providing a unique perspective into the inequities and imbalances in our society, and often reflecting an extraordinary psychological and sociological insight into the extreme sensitivities of human relationships framed in the art of modern story-telling". Swaroop Kumari Bakshi
"Narayani-ji’s writings reflect an inner peace and tranquility that quietly takes on the daily routine and humdrum existence of ordinary middle-class living, while still giving voice to its solemnity and bringing out facets of human interest and social compassion. Her writings reflect a sincerity and simplicity that is completely free of any arrogance or superiority that is sometimes reflected in contemporary works. Raj Kumar Saini
"Narayani has been blessed with an abundance of the abilities of observation and analysis, and this allows her to make a sharp and satirical presentation of the absurdities prevalent in our society through her writings that are not beholden to, nor spare, anyone." Shakuntala Verma
HER WORKS
