Jaipur, Jan 21:

Jayanta Mahapatra, a physicist and poet was declared the winner of the Kanhaiya Lal Sethia Award for Poetry 2017 at the Jaipur Literature Festival here.

In association with the K.L. Sethia Foundation, the award is established in memory of Mahakavi Kanhaiyalal Sethia and carries a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh. Mahapatra has spent almost his entire life in Cuttack. His work has appeared in virtually every important literary journal and several collections, which include Relationship (USA), and which won him the Sahitya Akademi Award (1981).

He has read his poetry throughout the world; from the Adelaide Festival of Arts (Australia) and the Cuirt International Poetry Festival (Ireland), to Poetry International at the South Bank, London, among others.

The distinguished jury comprised poet and author Sudeep Sen, Festival Director Namita Gokhale and distinguished poet and critic Sukrita Paul Kumar.

JLF Director Sanjoy Roy said: "Poetry has been JLF's primary focus over the years. We are delighted we now have the Kanhaiya Lal Sethia Award for Poetry which recognises and rewards a poet with an extraordinary body of work. I am delighted that Jayanta Mahapatra has won this year, this senior poet is a natural choice."

(IANS)