JCB Prize for literature makes quiet exit, causes concern among writers

New Delhi: The JCB Prize for Literature, India’s priciest book award, seems to have made a quiet exit without any official confirmation, causing concern among the literary community, including writers and publishers.

A person close to the award told PTI on Saturday that “it has shut down”.

The literary prize was established in 2018 to “celebrate Indian writing, and to help readers across the world discover the very best of contemporary Indian literature”.

After giving the award to English writer Upamanyu Chatterjee on November 23 last year, the JCB Prize Foundation has kept quiet. Its last social media post was uploaded on Instagram on November 27, congratulating Chatterjee for winning the Rs 25 lakh prize.

The award did not call for entries this year, which generally happens around the first week of March.

Malayalam writer Benyamin, who won the debut award in 2018 for his book “Jasmine Days” translated into English by Shahnaz Habib, said that the news is “deeply disappointing”.

“...as the JCB Prize was a highly promising recognition for Indian literature -- not just Indian English writing, but also regional languages. It was a respected and influential award that played a significant role in helping Indian literature reach a global audience,” the author of “Goat Days” told PTI.

In its seven editions, the award has gone to translated works of fiction five times.

In 2020, S Hareesh’s “Moustache”, translated from the Malayalam by Jayashree Kalathil, won the award. M Mukundan’s “Delhi: A Soliloquy”, translated from the Malayamal by Fathima E V and Nandakumar K, won the prize in 2021.

The award in 2022 went to Urdu author Khalid Jawed’s “The Paradise of Food”, translated by Baran Farooqui, followed by Tamil author Perumal Murugan’s “Fire Bird”, translated by Janani Kannan, in 2023.

“This is a great loss for Indian languages. Malayalam translations have won the award three times, Tamil once, and Urdu has also been recognized. It's truly disheartening,” Murugan said.

The award in 2019 was given to Madhuri Vijay for “The Far Field”.

Author Namita Gokhale said that it is possible that they might be “reconsidering the format”, while appreciating the work done by the JCB Prize.

“I don't know the truth of this. Perhaps they are reconsidering the format of the prize or are looking for some other form of literary activity . But I do appreciate the excellent work that the JCB Prize for Literature has done in forefronting translations in the past,” she said.

Karthika VK, publisher of Westland Books, said that the prize added a “great deal to the publishing ecosystem”.

"I am sorry to hear that it's shutting down. We can only hope others will come along to fill the gap and sponsor prizes, grants, residencies, to support writers and translators,” she said.

In its run of seven years, the award courted controversy ahead of the prize announcement last year when over a hundred writers, poets and publishers came out with an open letter condemning JCB, the British bulldozer manufacturer and the organiser of the literature prize, for allegedly “uprooting” the lives of poor and marginalised in India as well as Palestine.

Benyamin said that the criticism “missed the point”.

“...it’s not the equipment that should be blamed, but those who choose to misuse it. The same machines are also used to build also. I can't align myself with that kind of reasoning, especially when the prize itself had such a positive impact. I hope they will reconsider and they will reinstate the prize for Indian literature,” he said.

The award followed the process of call for entry, a longlist of 10 books, a shortlist of five books and finally, a winner.

Each of the shortlisted authors was awarded Rs one lakh, and if the shortlisted piece were a translation, the translator received Rs 50,000. If a translated work won the prize, the author would take home Rs 25 lakh while the translator received the prize money of Rs 10 lakh.