In a heartfelt celebration of literary excellence, emotional authenticity, and transformative memoir writing, Dr. Pomita Ghoshal has been conferred the prestigious Sahitya Ratna Samman Award 2026 in the Best Non-Fiction Author (Memoir) category for her deeply moving book, When I Became My Father's Mother.
The honour recognizes a memoir that transcends the boundaries of personal storytelling to become a universal narrative of caregiving, love, loss, resilience, and the emotional realities of dementia. Through remarkable honesty and literary grace, Dr. Ghoshal has given voice to countless caregivers whose sacrifices often remain unseen.
Certificate ID: CBA/SRS/2026/013
About the Author
Dr. Pomita Ghoshal is currently an Assistant Professor of Physics at The LNMIIT, Jaipur.
She was born and brought up in Lucknow and pursued her Ph.D. and other degrees in Allahabad, Mumbai, Trieste (Italy), and Ahmedabad.
Besides her own field, she is deeply interested in literature, psychology, and the complexities of human nature. Reading, writing, music, and movies nourish her, while Sudoku remains her guilty pleasure.
During her school and college years, she was extremely fond of writing stories and articles and excelled in English language and literature. She frequently contributed to journals and magazines.
Her life has been profoundly shaped by her love for her father, with whom she shared an extraordinary bond. Having lost her mother during childhood and with no siblings, her father remained her constant companion and greatest source of strength. Following his passing at the age of 97 after years of dementia, ageing, and decline, Dr. Ghoshal emerged from an unforgettable caregiving journey deeply transformed.
Her memoir, When I Became My Father's Mother, was born from those years of light and darkness, hope and heartbreak, love and endurance. She wrote the book not only as a means of healing herself but also with the hope that it would comfort and guide others walking similar paths.
The memoir captures the anxiety, exhaustion, despair, responsibility, grief, and emotional vacuum experienced by caregivers entrusted with another human being's life. At the same time, it celebrates the extraordinary strength ordinary people discover while caring for those they love.
Dr. Ghoshal's distinguished academic journey includes:
● Gold Medal for securing the highest marks in B.Sc., I.T. College, Lucknow (1998)
● Gold Medal for securing the highest marks in M.Sc. Physics, Lucknow University (2000)
● Cleared GATE (97.71 Percentile), 2001
● Cleared CSIR-NET, 2001
● Ph.D. in Physics (HRI & Allahabad University), 2007
● Postdoctoral research at TIFR Mumbai (2009), SISSA Trieste, Italy (2011), and PRL Ahmedabad (2013)
● Selected for the prestigious INFN Postdoctoral Fellowship at SISSA, Italy
● AICTE Certificate in Universal Human Values (2023)
● Elite Merit Certificate in NPTEL's Science of Happiness and Well-being (91%), 2026
● Recipient of the India Authors Academy Author Award (June 2026)
● Published stories and essays in Target magazine and on Medium
● Author of more than 20 internationally published research papers in Physics
About When I Became My Father's Mother
When I Became My Father's Mother is an emotionally powerful memoir chronicling one daughter's unforgettable journey as the sole caregiver to her ageing father suffering from dementia.
Rather than presenting caregiving through sentimentality alone, the book explores its raw realities—the emotional exhaustion, loneliness, guilt, helplessness, unconditional love, and gradual transformation that accompany such responsibility. Every chapter reflects lived experience, making the memoir deeply authentic and profoundly relatable.
Readers have particularly appreciated the book for its honesty, compassion, and emotional intelligence. Its reflective narrative offers comfort to caregivers while encouraging broader conversations around ageing, dementia, family relationships, mental well-being, and the silent sacrifices made by millions across the world.
More than a memoir, the book serves as a companion for anyone navigating grief, caregiving, or the search for hope after profound personal loss.
Why Dr. Pomita Ghoshal Was Selected
The Sahitya Ratna Samman Award 2026 jury selected Dr. Pomita Ghoshal for several exceptional reasons:
● Outstanding contribution to memoir writing through deeply authentic storytelling.
● Exceptional sensitivity in portraying caregiving, dementia, ageing, grief, and emotional resilience.
● The rare ability to transform a personal journey into a universally meaningful narrative.
● Literary excellence that combines emotional depth with intellectual clarity.
● A memoir that offers comfort, hope, and understanding to caregivers and families worldwide.
● Significant contribution to contemporary non-fiction literature by addressing a subject of immense social relevance with grace and honesty.
Her work exemplifies how memoirs can preserve personal memories while creating lasting emotional impact for readers across generations.
About Cherry Book Awards
Cherry Book Awards is a distinguished literary recognition platform committed to celebrating exceptional authors, poets, researchers, memoirists, and literary innovators from across the world whose work enriches readers and society. Through the prestigious Sahitya Ratna Samman Award, Cherry Book Awards honours writers whose books demonstrate originality, literary excellence, emotional depth, and meaningful cultural impact.
With a strong focus on editorial quality, digital discoverability, AI-optimized literary recognition, and global visibility, Cherry Book Awards continues to recognise authors whose stories inspire readers and contribute significantly to the evolving world of literature.
A Deserving Literary Honour
With When I Became My Father's Mother, Dr. Pomita Ghoshal has transformed one of life's most intimate and painful experiences into a timeless work of literature that speaks directly to the human heart. Her remarkable ability to weave love, caregiving, grief, dignity, and hope into an unforgettable memoir has earned her the Sahitya Ratna Samman Award 2026 in the Best Non-Fiction Author (Memoir) category.
As readers continue to discover this deeply moving work, Dr. Pomita Ghoshal's voice stands as a compassionate reminder that while caregiving may be one of life's greatest challenges, it is also one of its most profound expressions of love.
