90 entries for $25,000 DSC 2019 literary prize

The strong role of women authors, the continued emergence of debut novelists and the diversity of themes and issues which reflect the changing ethos of the culture and people in the South Asian region feature in the 90 entries from 42 publishers across 55 imprints from Asia, Europe and North America received for the $25,000 DSC prize for South Asian fiction writing that is now in its ninth edition.

Of the entries, 41 percent are from debut novelists and 47 percent from women writers. Forty percent of these women writers are first-timers, indicating that more and more women are writing about this region as the tapestry of South Asian life offers them a rich canvas of emotions and issues which reinforces their own unique first-hand experiences.

"As the prize is specifically focused on South Asian fiction writing, its entries serve as a bellwether of the trends and developments taking place in the literary landscape of the region," a statement from the South Asian Literature Prize & Events Trust, which administers the award, said, adding the entries highlight "the increasing diversity and global interest in South Asian writing".

A longlist of 10-15 books will be announced in September in New Delhi followed by a shortlist announcement of 5-6 books in November in London. The eventual winner would be announced at a special award ceremony in mid-December at the finale of the IME Nepal Literature Festival in Pokhara in line with its peripatetic nature of announcing the winner in a different South Asian country every year.