Arshia Sattar, a Bengaluru Novelist and Translator of Indian Epics, has received a French Literary Prize

Arshia Sattar, Bengaluru novelist and translator, honored with the French literary prize for outstanding contributions to literature and cultural exchange.

on Dec 01, 2023

Arshia Sattar, a Bengaluru Novelist and Translator of Indian Epics, has received a French Literary Prize | Frontlist

The Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres was awarded to Arshia Sattar for her "outstanding achievements in the field of literature," according to French Ambassador Thierry Mathou.

The French government has awarded author-translator Arshia Sattar the title of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres).

Thierry Mathou, France's ambassador to India, handed the prize to the Bengaluru-based scholar of Indian literature and mythology on November 28 at a ceremony at the Consulate General of France in Bengaluru.

"This distinction comes in recognition of her outstanding achievements in the field of literature as a translator and a writer as well as her deep commitment to the promotion of literature as director of the literary residency, Sangam House," the French Embassy said in a statement.
"This award honours her continued commitment to cultural relationship and cooperation between diverse literary worlds," the press release stated.
Sattar, 63, has translated the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Kathasaritsagara tales, as well as written other books for children, including The Mahabharata for Children, which won the Sahitya Akademi Prize for Children's Literature in 2022.

She was a part of the nine-part podcast series 'The River Has No Fear of Memories' earlier this year. Girish Karnad, a prominent playwright and actor, was honoured in this podcast through extended conversations he had with Sattar before his death in June 2019.

Sattar and David William Gibson co-founded the literary residency Sangam House in 2008 as part of their attempts to establish a supportive space for writers working in regional languages.

Sangam House has hosted over 200 writers from India and around the world, and it is part of the Villa Swagatam network of residencies, which was launched by the French Institute in India in March 2023 and consists of 16 Indian residencies in the fields of arts and crafts, performing arts, and literature.

"It is an honour to recognise an eminent scholar of Indian literature and mythology whose influence on literature extends across all genres." Her essential contribution to society also includes broadening people's understanding and enjoyment of Indian classical literature," Mathou remarked.

Sattar said the prize as a tribute to the arts. "When the arts are recognised, it is always a significant moment." We learn more about one other and ourselves via the arts. "The arts remind us of our shared humanity, which is perhaps the most significant touchstone in our troubled 21st century - that we are more alike than we are different," Sattar remarked.

Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Richa Chadha, Raghu Rai, Ebrahim Alkazi, Habib Tanveer, and Upamanyu Chatterjee have already received the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters.