Indians dominate DSC Prize Longlist

Works of 13 Indian authors, including a writer duo, figure in the longlist of 16 titles for the 2012 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature announced today.

Manhad Narula, Ira Pande and Surina Narula at the
announcement of the DSC Prize

The longlist for the USD 50,000 award was chosen from 52 entries which were reviewed by a five-member jury comprising chairperson Ira Pande, Alastair Niven (UK), Fakrul Alam (Bangladesh), Faiza S Khan (Pakistan) and Marie Brenner (US).

The longlisted books include an interesting mix of established as well debut novelists, along with three translated entries, the jury said.

Among the prominent Indian authors longlisted for their works are Manu Joseph (Serious Men), Usha K R (Monkey-man), Tabish Khair (The Thing About Thugs) and Kishwar Desai (Witness the Night).

Commenting on the longlist, Pande said, "This list is an interesting mix of 16 titles chosen after a careful consideration of various styles, languages and subject matter. It reflects the best of the South Asian literary tradition - a wide landscape of rural and urban life, intricate rituals of story-telling and an indication of its evolving form.

"This is the East, seen as it is by some of the most promising novelists of Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India, and as it appears to those who live elsewhere."

Full report here Outlook

All that monkey business

A story of changing values, attitudes and lives set in urban India…

Monkey-Man, Usha K.R.,
Penguin India, Rs. 299.

Monkey-Man weaves an intricate patch work quilt of lives over many decades and political persuasions to hover between a mix of a strange mystery, a tale of old stereotypes and new-found opportunities, and modern day India's work-centric culture.

It tells a tale of several families as they go through their lives in Bangalore. Their background, childhood friendships and political inclinations are described in copious detail. The book recreates the college scene of the 1970s or 80s centred around a professor of Marxist leanings called SVK who lights the fire of inspiration and debate. The book recalls the era of Indira Gandhi, the cartoons of R.K. Laxman, famously iconising the common man, and the political savvy that even the street vendor would have back in those times.

Full review here Hindu