Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Saturday extended his heartfelt congratulations to renowned writer Subi Taba for being awarded the Ramnath Goenka Sahitya Samman 2025 in the Best Fictioncategory for her acclaimed short story collection, Tales from the Dawn-Lit Mountains.

The prestigious award, instituted by The New Indian Express Group, was presented during a ceremony in Chennai on Friday by Vice President C P Radhakrishnan, in the presence of eminent writers, cultural figures, and jury members.

“Heartiest congratulations to Subi Taba on being conferred the Ramnath Goenka Sahitya Samman for Best Fiction 2025 for her acclaimed work Tales from the Dawn-Lit Mountains,” Khandu wrote on X.

He added that this recognition is a proud moment for Arunachal Pradesh and a significant milestone for contemporary literature from the Northeast, highlighting the state’s rich literary and cultural heritage.

Deputy CM Applauds the Achievement

Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein also congratulated Subi Taba, noting that her achievement brings national recognition to the stories, culture, and voices of Arunachal Pradesh. He wished her continued success in her literary journey and praised the book for its contribution to Indian literature.

About the Award-Winning Collection

Tales from the Dawn-Lit Mountains has been hailed as “a luminous work of fiction that gives voice to a landscape and people too rarely represented in Indian literature”, according to the award citation.

Rooted in oral traditions and shaped by a contemporary literary style, the collection captures the rhythms of life in Arunachal Pradesh with quiet power and empathy. Through spare and evocative prose, Subi Taba explores themes of memory, belonging, loss, and resilience, portraying mountain communities navigating social and cultural change.

The jury noted that the collection expands the imaginative geography of Indian fiction and affirms storytelling as an act of cultural preservation and renewal.

Recognition Amidst Stiff Competition

The book emerged as the Best Fiction title, surpassing other shortlisted works, including Heart Lamp by Bhanu Mushtaq and The Girl with Seven Lives by Vikas Swarup, the acclaimed author of Slumdog Millionaire.

Subi Taba’s work has thus not only brought national acclaim to her writing but has also spotlighted the rich stories and cultural heritage of Arunachal Pradesh, furthering the representation of Northeast India in contemporary literature.