Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize was instituted in 2018 by the Maitreya Publishing Foundation (MPF), a US-based independent and non-profit publishing house, in honour of Rabindranath Tagore, a renowned poet, novelist, and Nobel laureate. The Founder & CEO of Maitreya Publishing Foundation is Peter Bundalo who is also a Member of PEN International writers community.
It is given to published works of Indian authors (residing in India or abroad) in novel, short stories, poetry and drama, originally written in any of Indian official languages and dialects, but translated to English. Works can be submitted in print or in electronic book format. Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize aims to revive poetry and books that can change lives and encourages themes of peace, social consciousness, and cultural preservation in literature.
The award carries a prize money of $10,000, a Tagore statue and a certificate for contribution to literature.
The complete list of awardees is given below:
| Year | Author | Title |
| 2018 | Kabir (translated to english by Rabindranath Tagore) | One Hundred Poems of Kabir (poetry) |
| 2019 | Rana Dasgupta | Solo (literary fiction) |
| 2020 | Raj Kamal Jha | The City and the Sea (literary fiction) |
| 2021-22 | Shobhana Kumar | A Sky Full of Bucket Lists |
| 2021-22 | Sudeep Sen | Anthropocene: Climate Change, Contagion, Consolation |
| 2023 | Sukrita Paul Kumar | “Salt and Pepper” (poems) |
Tagore Prize for Social Achievement:
The Tagore Prize for Social Achievement is presented alongside the Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize. It recognises individuals or organisations for their exceptional contributions to social welfare and world peace.
The previous recipients of the Tagore Prize for Social Achievement are as follows:
2023:
Abhijit Banerjee, a Nobel Prize Laureate in Economics.
2021-22
Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, for his outstanding contribution towards philanthropy, literature and arts.
2020
His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said, the late Sultan of Oman and The People of Oman and from India Sandip Soparrkar a renowned dancer choreographer.
2019
Yohei Sasakawa, the World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador for his pioneering work on eradication of Leprosy. It was also awarded to Madame President of Taiwan, Ms. Tsai Ing-Wen and Taiwanese people, as being a “Beacon of Democracy, Human Rights and Freedom.”