Leading international prize on South Asian literature announces shortlist

Two Pakistani authors selected to contend for the $50,000 prize.

The six finest literary works of South Asian fiction for this year have been decided, based on the shortlist announced for the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2014. The ceremony, held at The Shaw Library in the London School of Economics (LSE), was attended by authors, publishers, and key people associated with literature in the South Asian region. The prize honours the best writing about South Asia.

Since its inception in 2010, the DSC Prize has drawn the world into South Asian literature and the authors that are making their mark on it. The prize, now in its 4th year, has for the last three years honoured winners from three different South Asian countries, including HM Naqvi from Pakistan for his book Homeboy.

Along with receiving a $50,000 prize, each of these winners has gone on to be published internationally, and their work has reached a global audience due to the recognition of the DSC Prize.

After intense deliberation over the original list of 15, the jury has shortlisted six books to be considered for this year’s prize, two of which are by Pakistani authors. The first is How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by the renowned author of Moth Smoke Mohsin Hamid. The second is The Blind Man’s Garden, by Nadeem Aslam, whose previous novel of note is Maps for Lost Lovers.

The DSC Prize for South Asian Literature prides in pioneering the initiative of highlighting the richness and diversity of South Asian writing. The prize is unique since submissions are open to any author from any part of the globe, as long as the work is based on the South Asian region and its people.

The winner of the fourth DSC Prize for South Asian Literature will be announced at the DSC Jaipur Literature Festival on January 18 2014.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 22^nd, 2013.

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