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Author Upamanyu Chatterjee on Saturday won the JCB Prize for Literature for his book “Lorenzo Searches for the Meaning of Life”.
Cover of Upamanyu Chatterjee’s book ‘Lorenzo Searches for the Meaning of Life’
Author Upamanyu Chatterjee on Saturday won the JCB Prize for Literature for his book “Lorenzo Searches for the Meaning of Life”.
Chatterjee’s book, published by Speaking Tiger, is the story of a young Italian man who starts living a life of spirituality after an accident to learn the commonalities of the path.
The award was announced at a function at JCB India Headquarters in Faridabad.
Chatterjee received a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh as well as a trophy created by Delhi-based artist duo, Thukral and Tagra, titled ‘Mirror Melting’.
After receiving the award, Chatterjee said, “When I was writing it I thought it was a very boring story, but it seems to have worked, so thanks for that.”
The winning book was selected by a jury headed by poet Jerry Pinto along with art historian Deepti Sasidharan, writer Trideep Suhrud, filmmaker Shaunak Sen and artist Acqui Thami.
“For me, the book is both a small canvas, because it is a canvas of the inside of a man’s heart and soul. This is a faith journey. And it is a very big canvas because it is based on this notion of who we are and what we want to be and how we want to take that journey, whether in a monastery or in a village,” Pinto told PTI.
Meeta Kapoor, literary director of the JCB Prize, said it has become a “transformational platform” since its inception as a tribute to the “diversity of storytelling”.
“It is an honor to witness the continued legacy of the JCB Prize for Literature, a celebration of the extraordinary voices shaping India’s literary landscape. What began as a tribute to the diversity of storytelling has evolved into a transformative platform, amplifying deeply resonating stories over time.
Kapoor said, “With each passing year, the award reaffirms its commitment to honor the artistry, creativity and dedication of writers and translators whose words leave an indelible mark on the world.”
The shortlist for the award included “The One Legged” by Shakyajit Bhattacharya, translated from Bengali by Rituparna Mukherjee; “Chronicle of an Hour and a Half” by Sahru Nusaiba Kannanari; “Sanatan” by Sharankumar Limbale, translated from Marathi by Paromita Sengupta; and “Maria, Just Maria” by Sandhya Mary, translated from Malayalam by Jayashree Kalathil.
Each of the shortlisted writers is given a prize of Rs 1 lakh, and if the shortlisted piece is a translation, the translator gets Rs 50,000.
JCB India CEO and MD Deepak Shetty said the award has attracted some of the “most diverse mix of acts” over the years.
“Contemporary Indian literature in regional languages has a lot to offer readers. Publishers play an important role in supporting and promoting high-quality translations so that these works are accessible to both older and younger readers through platforms tailored to their preferences, Shetty said.
The award, established in 2018, is awarded for a distinguished work of fiction by an Indian author.
In 2023, Perumal Murugan’s “Firebird”, translated from Malayalam by Janani Kannan, won the prestigious award.
Two days before the awards ceremony, the award was mired in controversy as over a hundred writers, poets and publishers issued an open letter condemning British bulldozer manufacturer and literary award organizer JCB for allegedly “uprooting” the award. The lives of the poor and marginalized people in India as well as Palestine.
When awards organizers were contacted for comment they declined to respond to the open letter.
(This story has not been edited by AyraNews24x7 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI,
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