Goa Government Launches “Navi Pahal” to Sponsor Debut Authors

'Navi Pahal' initiative is available for novels written in Konkani, the indigenous language, and Marathi, Sanskrit, and Hindi.

on Mar 02, 2023

Goa's Raj Bhavan has launched a book-sponsorship program to encourage young authors from the coastal State keen to have their first literary works published, helping promote local literary creation.

According to a press release published by the Governor's home last week, the 'Navi Pahal' initiative is available for novels written in Konkani, the indigenous language, and Marathi, Sanskrit, and Hindi.

The plan, reported to have been the creation of Goa Governor P.S. Sreedharan Pillai, aims to support promising local authors by publishing their first books while Raj Bhavan covers all printing costs.

Under this program, the books of the 60 top authors will be chosen by a committee the Raj Bhavan has constituted. It plans to print ten books in Hindi and Sanskrit, 25 novels in Konkani, and 25 books in Marathi.

The message also warned that the book shouldn't contain any material that was critical of the country, its leaders, or its policies or that offended anyone's feelings regarding their faith, caste, or creed.

Last month, Mr. Pillai announced that the Raj Bhavan would support the production of 25 novels in Konkani. He was visiting the Sattari area at the time.

The works that have been published fall under the fiction or non-fiction (biography, autobiography) genres, as well as poetry, anthologies, and travel literature.

The Goan literary community, as well as political officials from all sides of the political spectrum, including the Opposition Congress, have praised the Governor's efforts to improve the prospects of local writing and support Goan literary talents.