Santokh Singh Dhir


Santokh Singh Dhir, also spelled as Santokh Singh Dheer, was a noted, Sahitya Akademi Award winner, Punjabi writer and poet of Indian Punjab. He was known for his stories Koee Ik Sawaar, Sanjhi Kandh and Saver Hon Tak. He died on 8 February 2010 and his body was donated to PGI for research.

Life and works

Singh was born on 2 December 1920, to a Sikh father and Hindu mother, in a little village of Dadherhi that now falls under Fatehgarh district of Indian Punjab. He first worked as a tailor and then as a journalist for Preetlarhi, a monthly magazine but was temporary. Later, he started as a full-time writer and wrote about 50 books including novels, story anthologies, poetic and an autobiography, Brahaspati.

Family

His father Giani Isher Singh Dard was a poet and his mother Jamni Devi alias Gursharan Kaur was a housewife. He was married to Surinder Kaur and survived by his four daughters and a son.

Awards

He received the Sahitya Akademi Award for his story collection, Pakhi in 1996. Language Department of Punjab honored him with Shromani Sahitkar Award in 1991 and Punjabi Sahit Akademi, Ludhiana awarded him the Kartar Singh Dhaliwal Sharv Sharest Award in 2002. Punjabi University, Guru Nanak Dev University and Punjabi Sahit Sabha, Delhi awarded him the life fellowships.

Notable books

His noted books includes:
;Poetry:
;Story:
;Novels