The Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize 2010 - Winner

Following Fish wins Shakti Bhatt prize

Samanth Subramanian's debut book Following Fish has won the 2010 Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize.

Currently Deputy Editor at Mint, the New Delhi-based business newspaper, Subramanian has an undergraduate degree in journalism from Penn State University and a Master's in international relations from Columbia.

The six books in this year's shortlist were Homeboy by HM Naqvi; House on Mall Road by Mohyna Srinivasan; Songs of Blood and Sword, A Daughter's Memoir by Fatima Bhutto; The Wish Maker by Ali Sethi, and Delhi Calm by Vishwajyoti Ghosh. But the judges (playwright Mahesh Dattani, writer and surgeon Kalpana Swaminathan and novelist Ruchir Joshi) unanimously agreed on Following Fish.


“A delightful read, adventurous and unabashedly fun,” they said. “As Samanth Subramanian chases fish curry round coastal India, his instinct for the apt word and the telling phrase keeps the narrative taut. The book is full of colourful personalities – Subramanian brings us in close contact with people who charm and sometimes dismay, and each encounter seduces us with a new anecdote or a new dish. Comic, and picaresque, with many surprise nettings of wisdom, Following Fish is a sparkling debut by a talented writer.”

In its third year, the prize is a cash award of one lakh rupees and a trophy.

The award function will be held at the British Council, New Delhi, December 10 at 7.30pm.

Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize - Shortlist

The Shakti Bhatt Foundation has released its shortlist for the Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize 2010.
The six books are:
Home Boy, by H M Naqvi
The House on Mall Road, by Mohyna Srinivasan
Songs of Blood and Sword, A Daughter's Memoir, by Fatima Bhutto
The Wish Maker, by Ali Sethi
Dehi Calm, by Vishwajyoti Ghosh
Following Fish, by Samanth Subramanian

In its third year, the prize is a cash award of one lakh rupees and a trophy. The genres covered are poetry, fiction (including graphic novels), creative non-fiction (travel writing, autobiography, biography and narrative journalism) and drama. The 3-member advisory board this year included journalist Anil Nair, IFA programme executive Sanjay Iyer and poet Jeet Thayil.

The shortlisted books will be sent to the 2010 panel of judges; they are playwright Mahesh Dattani, writer and surgeon Kalpana Swaminathan and novelist Ruchir Joshi.
The winner will be announced in the second half of November and the prize will be presented in December.

Last year's winner was Mridula Koshy for If It Is Sweet.

The Shakti Bhatt Foundation is a non-profit trust. It wishes to reward first-time authors of all ages. For further information, mail shaktibhattprize AT gmail DOT com

The 2010 Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize - Call for submissions

The Shakti Bhatt Foundation announces
The 2010 Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize

In its third year, the Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize is a cash award of one lakh rupees. Entries in the following genres may be submitted: poetry, fiction (including graphic novels), creative non-fiction (travel writing, autobiography, biography and narrative journalism) and drama. A 3-member advisory board will shortlist 6 books published between June 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010. This year, the board includes journalist Anil Nair, IFA programme executive Sanjay Iyer and poet Jeet Thayil. The shortlisted books will be sent to the 2010 panel of judges; they are playwright Mahesh Dattani, writer and surgeon Kalpana Swaminathan and novelist Ruchir Joshi. The winner will be announced in the second half of November and the prize will be presented in December. Last year's winner was Mridula Koshy for If It Is Sweet.

Authors from the subcontinent are eligible but books must be published in India. Publications must be in English or translated into English from an Indian language. Books that have been published elsewhere and have already won prizes are eligible, though less likely to win. Vanity press publications are ineligible.

The Shakti Bhatt Foundation is a non-profit trust. It wishes to reward first-time authors of all ages. For further information, mail shaktibhattprize AT gmail DOT com