Kolhapur: Navnath Gore (29), a research fellow at the Department of Marathi at Shivaji University, Kolhapur, won the prestigious Yuva Sahitya Akademi award for his novel ‘Fesati’ . India’s national academy of letters, Sahitya Akademi, announced names of winners of its Bal puraskar and Yuva puraskar.Gore, who hails from small village, Umdi, in Sangli district, 70 km from the city, said his novel is named after a tool used in farming called ‘fesat’, made of bamboo, which farmers use while sowing to ensure that seeds fall into soil and do not go waste. ‘Fesati’ is a word farming communities use as a symbol of their many struggles, Gore said.“I had completed the first draft of the novel in 2014. I drew of personal experience, from the time I still lived in my village. It took me almost 18 months to complete the draft. I am happy that the novel is getting a good resonse,” Gore said, adding that he won 10 literary awards before getting the Yuva Sahitya Akademi award.“I have seen tragedies strike farmers, I have experienced dreams getting shattered in rural areas. Still, the sheer will of ordinary people has inspired me at a personal level” he said. This award inspires him to write more, Gore said.On Friday, as news of the award spread, the vice-chancellor of SUK DT Shirke congratulated Gore. “This is the proud moment for us. We hope to see more literary work from Gore,” he said.

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