Debut authors dominate 2021 JCB Prize longlist
The 2021 JCB Prize longlist that was announced on Monday is dominated by debut novels with six out of the 10 nominated books being written by first time authors. The prize carrying an amount of Rs. 25 lakh is awarded each year to a distinguished work of fiction by an Indian writer. Notably, it is the most expensive Indian award for writing.
Following debut works were included in the list
Debut works on the list include A Death in Sonagachhi by Rijula Das, Krupa Ge's What We Know About Her, Daribha Lyndem's Name Place Animal Thing, Shabir Ahmed Mir's The Plague Upon Us, Lindsay Pereira's Gods and Ends, and Keerthik Sasidharan's The Dharma Forest.
Three translated works from Malayalam also included in the list
The list also features three works of translation from Malayalam-- Anti-Clock by VJ James, Delhi: A Soliloquy by M Mukundan, and Thachom Poyil Rajeevan's The Man Who Learnt to Fly but Could Not Land. The longlist was chosen from a wide range of submissions by writers from sixteen states writing in multiple languages published between August 1, 2020, and July 31, 2021.
Books were a reflection of the times: Judges
The jury of five judges included author and literary translator Sara Rai (Chair), designer and art historian Annapurna Garimella, author and translator Shahnaz Habib, journalist and editor Prem Panicker, and writer and podcaster Amit Varma. According to the jury, the books on the longlist were a reflection of the times and prominently featured themes of self-reflection, duality, and morality.
We were after well-written, well-edited books: Rai
"We were after well-written and well-edited books, those that transformed you in subtle ways by providing a new perspective on contemporary Indian reality even if the work was one of historical fiction," Rai, chair of the jury, said.
Books on 2021 longlist were unforgettable: Rai
"We found that the books on 2021 longlist not only met these criteria but also passed the final test. They were unforgettable and stayed with us long after we had finished reading them," Rai added. Also on the longlist is Irwin Allan Sealy's Asoca. Literary director Mita Kapur said that they were dedicated to looking for "great literature beyond the narrow confines of genre."
Final winner will be announced on November 13
The shortlist of five titles will be announced on October 4. Each of the five selected authors will receive Rs. one lakh, and if a translated work makes it to the shortlist, the translator will also receive Rs. 50,000. The final winner will be announced on November 13. In case the winning entry is a translation, the translator will be awarded Rs. 10 lakh.
