Amartya Sen wins Peace Prize at Frankfurt Book Fair
Amartya Sen becomes first Bengali and Indian to win Peace Prize at Frankfurt Book Fair
Nobel laureate Amartya Sen has become the first Bengali as well as the first Indian to win the prestigious Friedenspreis des Deutschen Buchhandels, or Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, given annually by the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels, an association of German book publishers and booksellers, which runs the Frankfurt Book Fair.
Time and time again, across the world, Sen has been vocal about social inequality and human rights, and issues emanating from them.
He has conducted wide-ranging research on poverty, hunger and disease and their symbiotic relationship with the pioneering Human Development Index and democratic structure of a country.
The winner of the award was officially announced at a ceremony on the morning of Sunday, October 25, the first day of the book fair, at the famous St Paul’s Church (Paulskirche) in Frankfurt.
Amartya Sen was not present but appeared via a video link, and gave a thanksgiving speech. The German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier too could not attend; his speech in praise of Sen was read out by the actor, Burkhard Klaussner.
Through Amartya Sen, a Bengali was once again honoured on the world stage.
