Naresh Fernandes's Taj Mahal Foxtrot wins the Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize 2012

Naresh Fernandes has won the 2012 Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize for Taj Mahal Foxtrot: The Story of Bombay's Jazz Age, an account of the city's thriving music scene between the 30s and 60s.

His appearance on the shortlist was not without drama. Fernandes is the co-author of Bombay Then and Mumbai Now, a historical narrative, and co-editor of Bombay Meri Jaan. Could this then be considered a first book?

Longlist judges, poet/author Jeet Thayil and writer/arts consultant Sanjay Iyer, sifted through a record 96 books to come up with the final six. Thayil said in a note: “Bombay Meri Jaan was co-edited by Fernandes, so it doesn't count. Bombay Then, Mumbai Now was billed as being co-authored, but Fernandes only wrote an essay. It's a coffee-table book of photos. Would it have been eligible for a first-book prize? Yes, but the photographer would have been the author. Technically (and intuitively), Taj Mahal Foxtrot is Fernandes' first book.”

The shortlisted works were sent to the 2012 panel of judges: literary agent and author David Godwin, poet, dancer and novelist Tishani Doshi, and author Basharat Peer. Doshi says, “We unanimously agree that Naresh Fernandes should win for Taj Mahal Foxtrot. This year's shortlist for the Shakti Bhatt Prize was strong and diverse, ranging from an account of the fall of the last King of Burma to a contemporary exploration of womanhood in Chennai. We decided on Taj Mahal Foxtrot, not just because of the original subject matter, but also because of the huge talent that is Naresh Fernandes. He writes with warmth, humour and a great deal of perception about a city he clearly loves.”

The prize will be presented on December 20 at the British Council Auditorium, New Delhi. Last year's winner was Jamil Ahmad’s The Wandering Falcon.

2012 SBFBP Shortlist
1. Tamasha in Bandargaon by Navneet Jagannathan (Tranquebar)
2. The Purple Line by Priyamvada Purushottam (HarperCollins)
3. The King in Exile by Sudha Shah (HarperCollins)
4. The Inexplicable Unhappiness of Ramu Hajjam by Taj Hassan (Hachette)
5. Taj Mahal Foxtrot by Naresh Fernandes (Roli Books)
6. Calcutta Exile by Bunny Suraiya (HarperCollins)

Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize short list announced

The Shakti Bhatt Foundation has announced its short list for the Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize 2012.

Long list judges, poet/author Jeet Thayil and writer/arts consultant Sanjay Iyer, sifted through a record 96 books to come up with the final six.

Tamasha in Bandargaon by Navneet Jagannathan (Tranquebar)

The Purple Line by Priyamvada Purushottam (HarperCollins)

The King in Exile by Sudha Shah (HarperCollins)

The Inexplicable Unhappiness of Ramu Hajjam by Taj Hassan (Hachette)

Taj Mahal Foxtrot by Naresh Fernandes (Roli Books)

Calcutta Exile by Bunny Suraiya (HarperCollins)

The short-listed books will be sent to the 2012 panel of judges: literary agent David Godwin, poet and novelist Tishani Doshi, and author Basharat Peer. The winner will be announced in the second half of November and the prize will be presented in December. Last year's winner was Jamil Ahmad’s The Wandering Falcon.

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 Shakti Bhatt Foundation is also on Facebook.

Judges announced for Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize 2012

Literary agent David Godwin, dancer, author and poet Tishani Doshi and author Basharat Peer will be the judges of the Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize 2012.

In its fifth year, the prize is a cash award of one lakh rupees, and a trophy. Entries in the following genres were submitted: poetry, fiction (including graphic novels), creative non-fiction (travel writing, autobiography, biography and narrative journalism), and drama.

A two-member advisory board will be short-listing 6 books published between June 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012, which will then be sent to the judges. The winner will be announced in the second half of November and the prize will be presented in December.

This year has seen a record number of 94 entries as opposed to last year's 66; the winner in 2011 was 79-year-old Jamil Ahmad for The Wandering Falcon.

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