Guwahati, August 1: Renowned writer and academic Dr Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih has been conferred the Taburam Taid Literary Award 2026 for his genre-defying epic novel Funeral Nights. The award was presented by the Taburam Taid Memorial Trust, Society for Research and Development of Language, Art & Culture, at a ceremony held at KBR Hall, Cotton University, Guwahati, on August 1.
In its citation, the Trust described Funeral Nights as a work marked by a rich tapestry of spectacular folklore and contemporary urban apprehension in a rapidly changing world. It said the novel was crafted with narrative finesse and challenges and shapes contemporary literature at both regional and international levels.
The award citation recognised Dr Nongkynrih’s literary ambition in drawing inspiration from the narrative frameworks of Arabian Nights and Boccaccio’s The Decameron. The 1,024-page novel follows a diverse group of friends who arrive in a remote hamlet in Meghalaya to witness a grand six-day feast of the dead, involving the sacrifice of fifty bulls and the cremation of a revered village elder whose body has reportedly rested in a tree-house for nine months.
Through interconnected stories told around a fire, the novel brings together jokes, myths and personal histories, while exploring themes of life, survival, identity, culture, tradition and land. The citation said the work provides readers with an intimate engagement with Khasi culture and examines what it means to be tribal and Khasi in today’s rapidly changing world.
The Trust also acknowledged Dr Nongkynrih’s considerable body of literary work in both Khasi and English, spanning poetry, prose and scholarly writings. It congratulated him on the achievement and recognised him as an extraordinary literary voice and mentor to young literary minds.
Dr Nongkynrih is currently the Head of the Department of English at North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU).
The award was signed by Dr RonoJ Pé’gu, Chairperson, and Nobin Kaman, Member Secretary, of the Taburam Taid Memorial Trust.
