18 win national literary awards for 2014 in Myanmar

Altogether 18 literati won National Literary Awards (NLA) for 2014 in Myanmar, the National Literary Award Scrutiny Committee announced on Saturday.

Of the 18 literary awards, three Lifetime National Literary Award went to a 88-year-old writer U Win Phae who writes under the pen name Mya Zin, a 80-year-old writer U Khin Maung Soe under the pen name Maung Paw Tun and a 70-year-old writer U Ko Lay under the pen name Ko Lay-Inwa Goneyee.

Twenty-six others grabbed Sarpay Beikman Manuscript Awards.

The selected genres for winners include long stories, collective short stories, collective poems, belles-letters, culture and arts, children's literature, Youth literature, translation (general knowledge), translation (aesthetic), general knowledge (art), general knowledge (science), general knowledge (applied science), political literature, English-language book (general knowledge) and English-language book (aesthetic).

Vice President Dr Sai Mauk Kham stressed during the award giving ceremony that it is needed to improve the quality of literature and publish various books which can give knowledge to people.

He also urged emergence of people-benifited books, educational books, thinking books and classic literature.

To encourage preservation and promotion of literary and cultural heritage, the Myanmar government presents the NLAs successful writers annually. Enditem