of the novel titled Nirbandha. In 1999 (2056 BS), she published a poetic fantasy novel titled Shabdatit Shantanu, for which she received the Sajha award. Notable Works Personal life and death She married Shankar Giri, an engineer from Janakpur in 1967. She was also one of the close friend of the writer Parijat. On the night of May 24, 2021, Giri died following a heart attack and testing positive for COVID-19, at the age of 75. Giri was survived by her husband, a son and a daughter. Awards and legacy She won the Sajha Puraskar in 1999 for her poetic fantasy work Shabatit Shantanu. She is the first woman to win the award. She was also awarded with Suprabal-Gorkha-Dakshin-Bahu, the second highest civilian honour in the Kingdom of Nepal by His Majesty's Government of Nepal. Shankar Giri established a non-profit foundation called Banira Giri Foundation in 2019. The aim of the foundation is to help aspiring writers financially and in other ways. The foundation also have an archive of the books, manuscripts and photographs of the poet. A life-size statue of Giri was built on the property of the foundation which was unveiled on 11 May 2022 by Dr. Basudev Tripathi. The foundation also presented various awards to poets and artist on that day. References External links Banira Giri at Poetry International Banira Giri at 1946 births 2021 deaths Nepalese women poets Nepali-language writers People from Darjeeling district Tribhuvan University alumni 21st-century Nepalese poets 21st-century Nepalese women writers Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal Sajha Puraskar winners Khas people