Indian activist-author-poet Meena Kandasamy has been announced as the recipient of the Hermann Kesten Award 2022, which is given by the PEN Centre in Darmstadt, Germany. The award is given to Kandasamy in honour and recognition of her support for the rights of victimized writers. It also recognizes her works on the issues of caste, ethnic oppression, and gender.
The Hermann Kesten Award is given "for outstanding efforts in support of persecuted writers according to the principles of the Charter of PEN International," as per their website. Started in 1985, the award was initially given once in two years till 1993; since 1994 it is being given annually.
