After a long hiatus of five years, the prestigious Crossword Book Awards is back, reigniting the spotlight on Indian literature in English. Launched in 1998, the Crossword Book Awards have been one of the longest-running and most respected literary honours in the country. This much-anticipated revival comes with renewed excitement as it continues its mission to recognize and celebrate Indian writing across five major categories—Fiction, Non-fiction, Children’s, Translations, and Business and Management.
The 2024 edition of the Crossword Book Awards, a literary event that brings together authors, publishers, readers, and the literary community, is poised to leave a significant impact. The award, known for blending both critical recognition and popular appeal, aims to celebrate Indian authors writing in English, offering a platform for both established and emerging voices.
Reopening the Stage for Indian Literature
This year, submissions for the Crossword Book Awards opened on March 18, inviting entries from books published in English between March 1, 2023, and March 1, 2024. With hundreds of books submitted across the categories, the competition is fiercer than ever, reflecting the richness and diversity of contemporary Indian writing. The prize for the Jury Award winners, in each category, is Rs 50,000, with a cash prize of Rs 25,000 for translators (in the Translations category) and illustrators (in the Children’s category).
The return of the Crossword Book Awards is being welcomed by the literary community, with Aakash Gupta, CEO of Crossword Bookstores, remarking, “As we bring back the Crossword Book Awards, we aim to celebrate the rich tapestry of Indian literature and honor the voices that shape our literary landscape. This event is not just about recognizing excellence; it’s also about inspiring future generations to explore the power of storytelling and the joy of reading.”
2024 Longlists Announced
The longlists of the Crossword Book Awards, revealed earlier this year, represent a wide spectrum of voices and themes, from groundbreaking works of fiction to thought-provoking non-fiction, captivating children’s books, insightful translations, and cutting-edge business literature. Each category is judged by a distinguished three-member panel comprising some of the most acclaimed names in Indian literature and journalism.
Fiction (Longlist)
- History’s Angel by Anjum Hasan
- Never, Never Land by Namita Gokhale
- The Memoirs of Valmiki Rao by Lindsay Pereira
- The East Indian by Brinda Charry
- The Gallery by Manju Kapur
- Quarterlife by Devika Rege
- Can’t by Shinie Antony
- Chronicle of an Hour and a Half by Saharu Nusaiba Kannanari
- Tall Tales By a Small Dog by Omair Ahmad
- Shakchunni by Arnab Ray
Non-fiction (Longlist)
- From Phansi Yard by Sudha Bhardwaj
- The Day I Became a Runner by Sohini Chattopadhyay
- City on Fire by Zeyad Masroor Khan
- Swadeshi Steam by A. R. Venkatachalapathy
- A Part Apart by Ashok Gopal
- Mother Cow Mother India by Yamini Narayanan
- Anger Management by Ajay Bisaria
- Being Hindu Being Indian by Vanya Vaidehi Bhargav
- Marginlands by Arati Kumar-Rao
- Fire on the Ganges by Radhika Iyengar
Translations (Longlist)
- Beneath the Simolu Tree by Sarmishtha Pritam, tr. from Assamese by Ranjita Biswas
- Boy, Unloved by Damodar Mauzo, tr. from Konkani by Jerry Pinto
- I Named My Sister Silence by Manoj Rupda, tr. from Hindi by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar
- Dudiya – In Your Burning Land by Vishwas Patil, tr. from Marathi by Nadeem Khan
- Mithun Number Two by Jayant Kaikini, tr. from Kannada by Tejaswini Niranjana
- Fire Bird by Perumal Murugan, tr. from Tamil by Janani Kannan
- Sakina’s Kiss by Vivek Shanbhag, tr. from Kannada by Srinath Perur
- A Woman Burnt by Imayam, tr. from Tamil by GJV Prasad
- Maria Just Maria by Sandhya Mary, tr. from Malayalam by Jayasree Kalathil
- Fruits of the Barren Tree by Lekhnath Chhetri, tr. from Nepali by Anurag Basnet
Children’s (Longlist)
- Zen by Shabnam Minwalla
- The Henna Start-Up by Andaleeb Wajid
- Bipathu and a Very Big Dream by Anita Nair
- The Case of the Vanishing Gods by Mallika Ravikumar
- A Children’s History of India in 100 Objects by Devika Cariapa
- Mommies by Richa Jha and Priya Sebastian
- From Makaras to Manticores by C.G. Salamander and Sheena Deviah
- Are There Bun Shops in the Jungles of India? by Nandini Nayar
- The Dog with Two Names: Stories that Celebrate Diversity by Nandita Da Cunha
- The Misadventures of a Diamond Thief by Lubaina Bandukwala
Business and Management (Longlist)
- Accelerating India’s Development: A State-led Roadmap For Effective Governance by Karthik Muralidharan
- Al Rising: India’s Artificial Intelligence Growth Story by Leslie D’Monte and Jayanth N. Kolla
- Exprovement: Exponential Improvements Through Converging Parallels by Hersh Haladker and Raghunath Anant Mashelkar
- Farmer Sutra by Kalpana Manivannan
- Inside the Boardroom: How Behaviour Trumps Rationality by R. Gopalakrishnan and Tulsi Jayakumar
- Lilliput Land: How Small Is Driving India’s Mega Consumption Story by Rama Bijapurkar
- Mastering the Data Paradox by Nitin Seth
- The Eight Per Cent Solution: A Strategy for India’s Growth by Nikhil Gupta
- Unfiltered: The CEO and the Coach by Ana Lueneburger and Saurabh Mukherjea
- When the Chips Are Down by Pranay Kotasthane and Abhiram Manchi
What’s Next for the Crossword Book Awards?
The final shortlist of nominees will be announced on November 11, and voting for the Popular Choice Awards will soon open to readers. The winners will be celebrated during a grand awards ceremony in Mumbai on December 12, where India’s literary giants, creative minds, and influential industry leaders will gather to honour the best of Indian writing.
In addition to the Jury Awards, where a distinguished panel of judges selects the best works, the Popular Choice Awards allow readers across the country to have their say in choosing their favourite books. This unique format ensures that the voices of the audience and the literary elite converge, making the Crossword Book Awards truly reflective of the best of Indian literature.
The return of the Crossword Book Awards mark a pivotal moment for the Indian literary scene, with 2024 shaping up to be an exciting year for readers and writers alike.
