India’s highest literary honour, 60th Jnanpith Award for the year 2025 will be conferred on distinguished Tamil poet, lyricist and writer R. Vairamuthu. He has been selected for the prestigious award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to Tamil literature, marked by creative depth and a distinctive poetic voice.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the Bharatiya Jnanpith Selection Committee chaired by noted writer Pratibha Ray. The committee comprised eminent litterateurs and scholars including Madhav Kaushik, Damodar Mauzo, Suranjan Das, A. Krishna Rao, Prafulla Shiledar, Kesubhai Desai, Janaki Prasad Sharma, K. Srinivas Rao and Maheshwar. Born on July 13, 1953, in Tamil Nadu, R. Vairamuthu is regarded as one of the most prominent voices in contemporary Tamil literature. His works are known for their evocative portrayal of human emotions, social concerns and a deep sensitivity towards nature.
Vairamuthu has authored more than 37 books, including poetry collections and novels. Some of his acclaimed works include Kallikattu Ethikasam, Karuvachi Kaaviyam, Thanni Desam and Moondraam Ullaga Por (The Third World War).
During his career, he has received several prestigious honours, including the National Film Award for Best Lyrics on seven occasions. He was also awarded the Padma Shri in 2003 and the Padma Bhushan in 2014 by the Government of India.
In the same year as the Padma Shri, he received the Sahitya Akademi Award for his celebrated novel Kallikattu Ethikasam.
