Which state government announced the institution of the Semmozhi National Literary Award?

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin announced a new national-level literary award by the state government.

The announcement was made at the closing ceremony of the Chennai International Book Fair 2026.

The event was held at Kalaivanar Arangam, Chennai.

The new award is named the Semmozhi National Literary Award.

The award will be presented annually for outstanding literary works.

In the first phase, the award will cover seven Indian languages.

The selected languages are Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Bengali, and Marathi.

Each Semmozhi National Literary Award carries a cash prize of ₹5 lakh.

Separate independent juries will be constituted for each language.

Jury panels will include eminent writers and award-winning authors.

The award aims to ensure transparency, literary merit, and credibility.

M K Stalin criticised alleged political interference in the Sahitya Akademi.

Reports suggested the 2025 Sahitya Akademi Awards announcement was cancelled.