The 2024 JCB Prize for Literature: Longlist Revealed

The 2024 JCB Prize for Literature longlist features 10 novels, including 5 translations, showcasing diverse Indian fiction and compelling narratives.

on Sep 09, 2024

The longlist of ten novels was announced recently by the 2024 JCB Prize for Literature. Of the ten, five novels were written originally in English, and the remaining five were translated into English from Bengali two, Marathi two and Malayalam one. A shortlist of five books will be announced on 23 October, and the winner on 23 November.

The prize winner will get Rs 25 lakh in cash. If the prize is won by a translated work, additional Rs 10 lakh are to be given to the translator. Also, each of the five shortlisted authors will be given Rs 1 lakh with an extra Rs 50,000 in case of its translator if the shortlisted work is a translation.

The jury included: author, translator and poet Jerry Pinto; scholar and translator Tridip Suhrud; art historian and curator Deepthi Sasidharan; filmmaker and writer Shaunak Sen; and artist Aqui Thami.

These selected longlist entries came from the large number of submissions that represented writers from sixteen states and the best of books translated from seven different languages. Jayasree Kalathil has been listed for the third time with "Moustache" appearing in the 2020 winner, and "Valli" appearing on the 2022 shortlist, while V Ramaswamy has been listed for the second time after "The Nemesis" was shortlisted in 2023. The list also includes four debut novels, out of which two are translated works.

Mita Kapur, Prize director, says, "The 2024 Longlist presents a diverse array of Indian fiction, showcasing ten books that offer an evocative portrayal of the varied and complex nature of life in India. This year's Longlist explores a range of themes and experiences that capture both the intricate details of daily life and the more profound, extraordinary moments.

The longlist of ten novels with a brief description of each is given below:

Chronicle of an Hour and a Half by Saharu Nusaiba Kannanari (Context/Westland)

Hurda by Atharva Pandit (Bloomsbury India)

Of Mothers and Other Perishables by Radhika Oberoi (Simon and Schuster India)

Lorenzo Searches for the Meaning of Life by Upamanyu Chatterjee (Speaking Tiger Books)

The Distaste of the Earth by Kynpham Singh Nongkynrih (Penguin India)

Talashnama: The Quest by Ismail Darbesh, translated from Bengali by V Ramaswamy (HarperCollins India)

Maria, Just Maria by Sandhya Ramesh, translated from Malayalam by Jayasree Kalathil (HarperCollins India)

Sanatan by Sharankumar Limbale, translated from Marathi by Paromita Sengupta (Penguin India)

Leaf, Water and Flow by Avadhoot Dongare, translated from Marathi by Nadeem Khan (Ratna Books)

The One Legged by Sakyajit Bhattacharya, translated from Bengali by Rituparna Mukherjee (Antonym Collections)