VISHAV PUNJABI SAHIT International Association of Punjabi Authors & Artists(I.A.P.A.A.) 116 – 3530 Kalum Street, Terrace, B.C., Canada V8G 2P2 Telephone/Fax: (250) 635 4455 E-mail:
1. Vishav Punjabi Sahit – 1981 – Edited by Ravinder Ravi – Writings of 100 Punjabi Writers of 12 Countries
Ravinder Ravi presenting IAPAA AWARD to Canadian Punjabi poet Manjit Meet Surrey, BC, Canada -2010
Ravinder Ravi presenting, IAPAA Award for 2011 to Canadian Punjabi poet Charan Singh – Surrey, BC, Canada – April 8, 2012
IAPAA Award, for 2012 – Dr. Nighat Khurshid receiving from Shereen Masoud – May 2, 2013, Lahore, Pakistan
Ravinder Ravi presenting IAPAA Award to Tara Singh Hayer(Wheel Chair), with Dr. Prem Parkash Singh & Dr. Gurumel- Surrey, B.C., Canada – 1992 – Ph
Ravinder Ravi presenting IAPAA Award to Dr. Tejwant Singh Gill – & Dr. Gurumel – Terrace, B.C., Canada – 1991 Pic. Saihajpal Shergill (1)
Gulzar Singh Sandhu presenting the I.A.P.A.A. Award to Dr. Sahib Singh, Dr. Rawel Singh is in the middle – Delhi, India – February, 2009 (1)
Ravinder Ravi presenting IAPAA AWARD to VC Dr. Joginder Puar – & Dr. Gurumel, Fresno, California, USA – 1995 (1)
Ravinder Ravi & Dr. Gurumel presenting IAPAA Award to Pakistani Punjabi writer Ilyas Ghumman Fresno, California, USA – 1998 (1)
The International Association of Punjabi Authors and Artists(I.A.P.A.A.) was founded on July 3, 1978, by Ravinder Ravi(Founding President), in cooperation with Gurcharan Rampuri, Dr. Gurumel(Sidhu), Tara Singh Hayer(Editor, “Indo-Canadian Times”), Darshan Gill and Bhupinder Dhaliwal, in Surrey, BC, Canada. It was the first international association, of its kind, in the world, that had representatives in 12 countries.
A $500 IAPAA Award was initiated by Ravinder Ravi, in memory of his father and brother-in-law, in 1980, which was named as: Prof. Piara Singh Gill and Karam Singh Sandhu Memorial Anter-Rashtari Shiromani Sahitkar/Kalakaar Award. This award has been given to 53 Punjabi writers, critics, linguists, journalists and artists, living in 9 countries of the world, including India and Pakistan. This was the first award of its kind in the world.
In 1981, Ravinder Ravi compiled, edited and published an anthology of the World Punjabi Literature, entitled: VISHAV PUNJABI SAHIT, for the IAPAA, that included the writings of about 100 Punjabi writers, living in 10 different countries of the world. It was the first anthology of its kind on global basis.
The following authors, journalists and artists were honoured, with Prof. Piara Singh Gill and Karam Singh Sandhu Memorial Antar-Rashtari Shiromani Sahitkaar/Kalakaar Award, by the IAPAA, since 1980:
List of the Awards given by the I.A.P.A.A.
| 1. | Sant Singh Sekhon | India | 1980 |
| 2. | Fakhar Zaman | Pakistan | 1981 |
| 3. | Kartar Singh Duggal | India | 1982 |
| 4. | Sohan Qadri(Artist/Poet) | Denmark | 1982 |
| 5. | Ajeet Cour | India | 1983 |
| 6. | Tarsem Singh Purewal(Journalist) | England | 1983 |
| 7. | Dr. Surjit Singh Sethi | India | 1984 |
| 8. | Dr. Dalip Kaur Tiwana | India | 1985 |
| 9. | Amrita Pritam | India | 1986 |
| 10. | Dr. Harcharan Singh | India | 1986 |
| 11. | Afzal Ahsan Randhawa | Pakistan | 1986 |
| 12. | Ajaib Kamal | Kenya | 1986 |
| 13. | Dr. Gurumel | U.S.A. | 1986 |
| 14. | Dev | Switzerland | 1986 |
| 15. | Shivcharan Gill | U.K. | 1986 |
| 16. | Dr. Harbhajan Singh | India | 1987 |
| 17. | Dr. Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia | India | 1988 |
| 18. | Balwant Gargi | India | 1989 |
| 19. | Hardev Singh(Artist) | Canada | 1989 |
| 20. | Tara Singh | India | 1990 |
| 21. | Gulzar Singh Sandhu | India | 1990 |
| 22. | Ajmer Singh Aulakh | India | 1991 |
| 23. | Dr. Tejwant Singh Gill | India | 1992 |
| 24. | Amarjit Singh(Aks – Journalist) | India | 1992 |
| 25. | Tara Singh Hayer(Journalist) | Canada | 1992 |
| 26. | Dr. Raghbir Singh Sirjana(Journalist) | India | 1993 |
| 27. | Dr. Kulbir Singh Kaang | India | 1994 |
| 28. | Dr. Prem Parkash Singh | Canada | 1994 |
| 29. | Dr. Joginder Singh Puar | India | 1995 |
| 30. | Dr. Manjitpal Kaur | India | 1996 |
| 31. | Dr. Sutinder Singh Noor | India | 1997 |
| 32. | Prof. Brahm Jagdish Singh | India | 1997 |
| 33. | Dr. Amarjit Kaunke | India | 1998 |
| 34. | Ilyas Ghumman | Pakistan | 1998 |
| 35. | Amar Jyoti | The Netherlands | 1998 |
| 36. | Dr. Akhtar Hussain Akhtar | Pakistan | 1999 |
| 37. | Jasbir Bhullar | India | 2000 |
| 38. | Ajit Rahi | Australia | 2000 |
| 39. | Balihar Singh Randhawa | U.K. | 2000 |
| 40. | Harbhajan Singh Halwarwi | India | 2000 |
| 41. | Avtar Joura | India | 2001 |
| 42. | Dr. Manjit Singh | India | 2002 |
| 43. | Rashad Hassan Rana | Pakistan | 2005 |
| 44. | Prof. Ashiq Raheel | Pakistan | 2006 |
| 45. | Dr. Vanita | India | 2007 |
| 46. | Dr. Sahib Singh | India | 2008 |
| 47. | Parminderjit | India | 2009 |
| 48. | Kewal Dhaliwal | India | 2010 |
| 49. | Manjit Meet | Canada | 2010 |
| 50. | Gurdial Kanwal | Canada | 2010 |
| 51. | Charan Singh | Canada | 2011 |
| 52. | Dr. Nighat Khurshid | Pakistan | 2012 |
| 53. | Kewal Dhaliwal(Shiromani Nat Samraat) | India | 2013 |
Joginder Bahrla(India), for Performing Arts, was honoured,in Vancouver, Canada, in 1979.
Sahit Vichar Manch(Canada)
Sahit Vichar Manch(Canada), a branch of the IAPAA, has honoured the following authors and artists with $500 Vishav Punjabi Sahitkar Purskar, since 1983:
| 1. | Kulwant Singh Virk | India | 1983 |
| 2. | Kapur Singh Ghumman | India | 1984 |
| 3. | Dr. M.S. Randhawa | India | 1985 |
| 4. | Pritam Singh Safeer | India | 1986-87 |
| 5. | Kewal Dhaliwal | India | 2014 |