Quick Facts
Biography
Usha Kiran Khan (Ushākiraṇa Khāna and other variants, born 1945) is a Hindi-Maithil writer and retired academic historian.
Career
Of her writing influences, Khan said: "My great idol and role model for my inclination towards Maithli language is the noted writer and novelist Nagarjun. He has penned many novels, stories and poems and Maithli language and also he has been my guru from whom I have learned the beauty of this language" and "Nagarjun is like father like figure to me and his style of writing has always influenced me a lot."
Awards and honours
In 2011, Khan won a Sahitya Akademi Award for the Maithili novel Bhamati: Ek Avismaraniya Premkatha. The award is presented by Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters.
In 2012, she was awarded a Kusumanjali Sahitya Samman by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations for her novel Sirjanhaar. This was the first year that the awards had been given and they included a purse of Rs.2,50,000.
Khan was awarded the Padma Shri in 2015 for her service in the field of literature and education.