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      India’s Most Prestigious Literary Prize Goes Silent: JCB Prize Cancelled

      PostJCB Prize for Literature

      JCB Prize for Literature, the most prestigious Indian literary award established in 2018, celebrated and honoured distinguished works of Fiction by Indian authors and has elevated numerous voices across Indian languages and offered ₹25 lakh to the winning author each year.

      Mita Kapur, Literary Director, JCB prize, on June 21, stated, " The prize has been shut down. I am not going to deny something that is evident. But for everything else, ‘no comment’."

      The JCB Foundation announced the decision, citing internal strategic changes, bringing an unexpected end to what had become a vital platform for celebrating contemporary Indian fiction.

      The past winners of the prize were:

      1. Jasmine Days by Benyamin (2018)
      2. The Far Field by Madhuri Vijay (2019)
      3. Moustache by S. Hareesh (2020)
      4. Delhi: A Soliloquy by M. Mukundan (2021)
      5. The Paradise of Food by Khalid Jawed (2022)
      6. Fire Bird by Perumal Murugan (2023)
      7. Lorenzo Searches for the Meaning of Life by Upamanyu Chatterjee (2024)

      The Prize highlights:

      • Rs 25 lakhs were awarded to the winning author. 
      • If the book was translated, the translator received Rs 10 lakh.
      • Each of the shortlisted authors was awarded Rs 1 lakh. 
      • Shortlisted translators received Rs 50,000. 

      The announcement has sparked widespread disappointment across the literary community, with many authors, translators, and publishers expressing concern about the growing uncertainty around institutional support for literature in India.

      Source- The Indian Express

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