Bhalchandra Vanaji Nemade, born in the village of Sangavi in the Khandesh region of Maharashtra, is a Marathi language writer, poet, critic and linguistic scholar.
Nemade wrote his first novel Kosala in 1963; it brought new dimensions to the world of Marathi literature. Kosla is extensively translated into various languages including English, Hindi, Gujarati, Kannada, Assamese, Punjabi, Bengali, Urdu, and Oriya. This was followed by a tetralogy consisting of novels Bidhar, Hool, Jareela and Jhool. In 2013, Nemade published his magnum opus titled Hindu: Jagnyachi Samruddha Adgal which is regarded as his masterpiece. As a critic, Nemade’s contribution rests in initiating Deshivad, a theory that negates globalisation or internationalism, asserting the value of writers’ native heritage, indicating that Marathi literature ought to try to revive its native base and explore its indigenous sources.
Nemade is a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award as well as the Jnanapith Award. He was the fourth laureate receiving the award for work in Marathi language. In 2013, he was awarded the Padma Shri.