In its fifth year, the JCB Prize for Literature officially revealed the 2022 Shortlist at an exclusive gathering of writers, translators, and the city’s literary community at the Glenburn Penthouse in Kolkata. Each year, the jury chooses a notable work of fiction by an Indian author to receive the JCB Prize for Literature. At the occasion in Kolkata, the Jury Chair, AS Panneerselvan, revealed the Shortlist. Two debut novelists are represented on the list of shortlisted books, which include translations from five different languages, including Urdu, Hindi, Bangla, Malayalam, and Nepali.

The shortlisted novels are:

1. Imaan by Manoranjan Byapari, translated from Bengali by Arunava Sinha (Eka)
2. The Paradise of Food by Khalid Jawed, translated from Urdu by Baran Farooqi (Juggernaut)
3. Valli by Sheela Tomy, translated from Malayalam by Jayasree Kalathil (Harper Perennial)
4. Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree, translated from Hindi by Daisy Rockwell (Penguin Random House India)
5. Song of the Soil by Chuden Kabimo, translated from the Nepali by Ajit Baral (Rachna Books)

Mr. AS Panneerselvan, the jury chair for 2022, commented on the shortlist and said, “Judging literary works is difficult. The boundaries are continually being pushed by authors through the use of new content and a variety of creative techniques. Every action is significant, and every invention is priceless. However, when it came time for the final evaluation, these cerebral marvels made room for the strength of the heart, where empathy replaced intellect as the standard for selecting the shortlist. All of the shortlisted works serve as excellent examples of empathy, care for others, and, in a sense, a worldview in which the heart does not supplant the mind”.

The translator of any shortlisted book will also receive an additional Rs 50,000 in addition to the Rs 1 lakh each of the five shortlisted authors will receive. On November 19, 2022, the Rs. 25 lakh JCB Prize for Literature winner will be revealed. A further Rs 10 lakh will be given to the translator if their work is chosen as the winning entry.

After the reveal, Sandip Roy, Jayant Kripalani, and Paramita Saha read selections from the selected books.

Priyanka Dutta