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14
authors on South Asian literature prize long-list
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 07:16:38 PM,
IANS
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New Delhi:
Acknowledging the diversity of literature emanating from the
region, the DSC Limited Tuesday announced a long-list of 14 works
of fiction as also the five-member jury of the first DSC prize for
South Asian literature.
The prize carries a purse of $50,000. The DSC Ltd organises the
Jaipur Literature Festival in the pink city every year.
The long-list includes "Way to Go" by Upamanyu Chatterjee, "The
Middleman" by Mani Sankar Mukherjee, "The Immortals" by Amit
Chaudhuri, "Arzee the Dwarf" by Chandrahas Choudhury, "The Story
of a Widow" by M.A. Farooqui, and "The Immigrant" by Manju Kapur,
among others.
The names of the six short-list books will be announced by
October-end at the DSC South Asian Literature Festival in London
and the winner at the Jaipur Literature Festival in January 2010.
The titles are either set in South Asia or centre around south
Asian protagonists and bring forth typical concerns upholding the
socio-political and economic milieu of the region.
The other titles on the long-list are - "A Disobedient Girl" by Ru
Freeman, "Neti Neti" by Anjum Hassan, "Atlas of Unknowns" by Tania
James, "Home Boy" by H.M. Naqvi, "The Hour Past Midnight" by Salma,
"The Wish Maker" by Ali Sethi, "Chef" by Jaspreet Singh and "The
Temple Goers" by Aatish Taseer.
The five-member jury chaired by freelance editor, critic and
writer Nilanjana S. Roy comprises Britain-based Labour Party
politician Matthew Evans, who is also the former chairman of
publisher Faber and Faber, US-based novelist of Indian origin
Amitava Kumar, former editor of Granta and The Independent on
Sunday Ian Jack and London-based Pakistani writer Moni Mohsin.
Announcing the long-list, Britain-based social activist and
charity fund-raiser Surina Narula, whose family owns the DSC Ltd,
said: "South Asian literature is at a crucial standpoint with a
potential for tremendous growth. We want to promote literature
that cuts across the regional divides. Moreover, literature makes
one think and often changes our lives."
Guest of Honour Lord Meghnad Desai, economist and British MP, who
graced the announcement with wife and novelist Kishwar Desai said
the prize was instituted on the common presumption that South Asia
has emerged as a powerful economic destination.
"The quality of south Asian writing is excellent and special. We
have just begun to explore the range of south Asian literature.
The region is the biggest buyer and seller of books," he said.
"Even a best-selling novelist like Jeffrey Archer had to come to
India to release his book, 'Paths of Glory', after his publisher
told him that India has one of the largest markets for English
books," Desai said.
Dwelling upon the importance of literary prizes, British writer
William Dalrymple who is on the advisory board of the DSC prize,
shared a slice from his life.
"When I was writing 'The White Mughals', I ran into a huge
overdraft of nearly 25,000 pounds. It took me five years to write
my book. I even had to pull my kids out of private school. But two
prizes - the Wolfson Prize for History (2002) and the Scottish
Book of the Year award (2003) - paid off the overdraft and helped
me tide over the crisis. Prizes also bring recognition to writers
and can transform lives of young writers completely," Dalrymple
told IANS.
Chairperson of the jury Nilanjana S. Roy said the 50 books that
jury read to select the long-list showed "that south Asian fiction
was deviating from diaspora stories targeted to woo the west".
"Authors are now confident to narrate stories set in their own
environs. You have to enter their world," Roy told IANS.
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