New Delhi, Dec. 25 -- The renowned Hindi writer Vinod Kumar Shukla passed away on Tuesday at his hometown Raipur following an extended period of illness battling interstitial lung disease. He was 88 years old. During his illustrious career that spanned over five decades, Shukla was awarded the Sahitya Akademi, the Jnanpith and the PEN/Nabokov Award for Achievement in International Literature.

His body of work includes acclaimed volumes of poetry like Lagbhag Jai Hind (1971), Sab Kuch Honaa Bachaa Rahegaa (1992) and Kabhi Ke Baad Abhi (2012), and iconic novels like Naukar Ki Kameez (1979, adapted into the eponymous 1999 film by Mani Kaul), Khilega Toh Dekhenge (1996) and Deewar Mein Ek Khidki Rehti Thi (1996). The last two were translated...