Banaras Lit Fest Unveils Stellar Longlist for 2025 Book Awards – News18

Last Updated:January 24, 2025, 17:40 IST

The longlist features a stellar collection of literary works, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and translations, from both well-established authors and emerging voices

The Banaras Lit Fest has revealed the longlist for its highly anticipated Banaras Lit Fest Book Awards 2025, recognising the finest works in Indian literature across multiple genres and languages. The awards honour both authors and translators for their outstanding contributions to the literary world, showcasing the vibrancy and diversity of contemporary Indian writing.

The longlist features a stellar collection of literary works, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and translations, from both well-established authors and emerging voices. The wide-ranging categories, including the Rabindranath Tagore Award for Translation, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Award for Non-Fiction, Ruskin Bond Award for Fiction, and Kabir Award for Poetry, reflect the festival’s commitment to celebrating India’s literary horizon.

Rabindranath Tagore Award For Translation

1. Fire Bird– Perumal Murugan (Translated from Tamil by Janani Kannan, Penguin)
2. The Keeper of Desolation: Stories– Chandan Pandey (Translated from Hindi by Sayari Debnath, HarperCollins)
3. I Named My Sister Silence– Manoj Rupda (Translated from Hindi by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar, Eka, Westland Books)
4. Sakina’s Kiss– Vivek Shanbhag (Translated from Kannada by Srinath Perur, Penguin)
5. Sawaneh-i-Delhi: Biography of Delhi– Mirza Ahmad Akhtar Gorgani (Translated from Urdu by Ather Farouqui, Roli Books)
6. Boy, Unloved– Damodar Mauzo (Translated from Konkani by Jerry Pinto, Speaking Tiger)
7. The Homeland’s an Ocean– Mir Taqi Mir (Translated from Urdu by Ranjit Hoskote, Penguin)
8. The Yellow Sparrow: Memoir of a Transgender Woman– Santa Khurai (Translated from Manipuri by Rubani Yumkhaibam, Speaking Tiger)
9. The Nemesis– Manoranjan Byapari (Translated from Bengali by V. Ramaswamy, Eka, Westland)
10. How to Love in Sanskrit– Translated by Anusha Rao and Suhas Mahesh, HarperCollins

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Award For Non-Fiction

1. Tripping Down the Ganga: A Son’s Exploration of Faith– Siddharth Kapila, Speaking Tiger
2. Fire on the Ganges: Life Among Dead in Banaras– Radhika Iyengar, Fourth Estate (HarperCollins)
3. How Prime Ministers Decide– Neerja Chowdhury, Aleph
4. Gilded Cage: Years that Made and Unmade Kashmir– Sandeep Bamzai, Rupa
5. Bharat Rising: Dharma, Democracy and Diplomacy– Utpal Kumar, BlueOne Ink
6. The Day I Became a Runner– Sohini Chattopadhyay, Fourth Estate (HarperCollins)
7. The Jannayak Karpoori Thakur: Voice of the Voiceless– Santosh Singh & Aditya Anmol, Penguin
8. Iru: The Remarkable Life of Irawati Karve– Urmilla Deshpande & Thiago Pinto Barbosa, Speaking Tiger
9. Tipu Sultan: The Saga of Mysore’s Interregnum (1760-1799)– Vikram Sampath, Vintage Books
10. The Notbook of Kabir: Thinner than water fiercer than fire – Anand, Penguin Viking

Sarojini Naidu Award For Poetry

1. Mandalas of Time– Malashri Lal, Hawakal Publishers
2. To the Moon and Back: Life, Love and Everything In-between– Maria Goretti, Om Book International
3. Nostalgia: Crafting a Home Within– Mahua Sen, Red River
4. White Shirts of Summer: New and Selected Poems– Mamang Dai, Speaking Tiger
5. My Body Didn’t Come Before Me: Poems– Kuhu Joshi, Speaking Tiger
6. The Last Time I Saw You– Akhil Katyal, HarperCollins
7. I’ll Have It Here: Poems– Jeet Thayil, HarperCollins
8. Sweet Malida: Memories of a Bene Israel Woman– Zilka Joseph, Mayapple Press
9. Yellow– Sukrita Paul Kumar, Sahitya Akademi
10. Eartha– Vinita Agrawal, Sahitya Akademi

Ruskin Bond Award For Fiction

1. The Patient in Bed Number 12– Raj Kamal Jha, Penguin
2. Like Being Alive Twice– Dharini Bhaskar, Penguin
3. Aunties of Vasant Kunj– Anuradha Marwah, Rupa
4. Deccan Queen: Take Two– Farrukh Dhondy, Om Book International
5. Autumn Blossoms– Gajra Kottary, Om Book International
6. Wayel Kati: The Quest of the Seven Guardians– Linthoi Chanu, Niyogi Books
7. The New New Delhi Book Club– Radhika Swarup, Westland/Pratilipi
8. The Forgotten Wife: The Story of Hidimbi and Bhim– Madhavi Mahadevan, Speaking Tiger
9. Never Never Land– Namita Gokhale, Speaking Tiger
10. The Woman Who Climbed Trees– Smriti Ravindra, HarperCollins

Kabir Award For Poetry (Hindi)

1. कुछ भी वैसा नहीं– उमा शंकर चौधरी, राधा कृष्ण प्रकाशन
2. आत्मद्रोह– आर. चेतनक्रांति, राजकमल प्रकाशन
3. स्त्री मुगल– पवन कारण, राजकमल प्रकाशन
4. फिर उगना– पार्वती तिर्की, राधा कृष्ण प्रकाशन
5. मुलाकातें– आलोक धन्वा, राजकमल प्रकाशन
6. काल मृग की पीठ पर– जितेंद्र श्रीवास्तव, वाणी प्रकाशन
7. नीली बयाज़– अदनान कफिल दरवेश, राजकमल प्रकाशन
8. वक़्त ज़रूरत– अविनाश मिश्र, राजकमल प्रकाशन
9. मोर्चे पर विदागीत– विहाग वैभव, राजकमल प्रकाशन
10. भाषा में नहीं– सपना भट्ट, सेतु प्रकाशन

Mahadevi Verma Award For Translation (Hindi)

1. बरफ महल– थारयै वेसोस (अनुवाद: नीलाक्षी सिंह), सेतु प्रकाशन
2. आज़ादी– चित्रा बैनर्जी दिवाकरूणी (अनुवाद: नवेद अकबर), हार्पर हिंदी
3. चाकू– सलमान रुश्दी (अनुवाद: मंजीत ठाकुर), पेंगुइन हिंदी
4. कृष्ण की लीला भूमि 21वीं सदी में वृंदावन– जॉन स्ट्रैटन हौली (अनुवाद: अशोक कुमार), राजकमल प्रकाशन
5. नये भारत में दीमक लगी शहतीरें– परकाला प्रभाकर (अनुवाद: व्यालोक पाठक)
6. सतरंगी दस्तरख्वान– सुमना रॉय और कुणाल रे (अनुवाद: वंदना राग व गीत चतुर्वेदी), राजकमल प्रकाशन
7. ग्रेट कंचना सर्कस– विश्वास पाटिल (अनुवाद: रवि बुले), वाणी प्रकाशन
8. फकीरा– अण्णा भाऊ साठे (अनुवाद: उषा वैरागकर आठले), सेतु प्रकाशन
9. मौनराग– महेश एलकुंचवार (अनुवाद: निशिकांत ठकार), सेतु प्रकाशन
10. तीर्थंकर जैन धर्म पर 63 विचार– देवदत्त पटनायक (अनुवाद: मिहिर नीलम जाजोदिया), हार्पर हिंदी

Premchand Award For Fiction (Hindi)

1. अगम बहै दरियाव– शिवमूर्ति, राजकमल प्रकाशन
2. अग्निकाल– युगल जोशी, पेंगुइन हिंदी
3. चिरंजीव– चंद्रकिशोर जायसवाल, राजकमल प्रकाशन
4. नि:शेष– मधुर कपिला, पेंगुइन हिंदी
5. हमनवाई न थी– तसनीम ख़ान, सेतु प्रकाशन
6. बैल की आँख– संतोष दीक्षित, सेतु प्रकाशन
7. आउशवित्ज़: एक प्रेम कथा– गरिमा श्रीवास्तव, वाणी प्रकाशन
8. चक्का जाम– गौतम चौबे, राधाकृष्ण प्रकाशन
9. तृन धरि ओट– अनामिका, वाणी प्रकाशन
10. विपश्यना– इंदिरा दांगी, भारतीय ज्ञानपीठ

Rahul Sankrityayan Award For Non-Fiction

1. गाय–गेका की औरतें– जोराम तालाम नाबाम, राधा कृष्ण प्रकाशन
2. अल्लाह नाम की सियासत– हिलाल अहमद, सेतु प्रकाशन
3. इतिहास में अफ़वाह– शंभूनाथ, वाणी प्रकाशन
4. गार्जियनता– व्योमेश शुक्ल, रुख़ प्रकाशन
5. खोए हुए लोगों का शहर– अशोक भौमिक, सेतु पब्लिकेशन्स
6. हिंदी नवजागरण: इतिहास, गल्प और स्त्री प्रश्न– गरिमा श्रीवास्तव, वाणी प्रकाशन
7. बोरसी भर आंच– यतीश कुमार, राधा कृष्ण प्रकाशन
8. मिथकों से विज्ञान तक– गौहर रज़ा, पेंगुइन प्रकाशन
9. शहर जो खो गया– विजय कुमार, सेतु प्रकाशन
10. अक्क महादेवी– सुभाष राय, सेतु प्रकाशन

Deepak Madhok, President of the Banaras Lit Fest, expressed his pride in the longlist, saying, “We are proud to present the longlist for the Banaras Lit Fest Book Awards 2025, celebrating the diversity of Indian literature across languages. These works embody the spirit of storytelling, translation, and cultural exchange that define our festival.”

Brijesh Singh, Secretary of the Banaras Lit Fest, emphasised the remarkable talent featured in the longlist, “The longlist for the Banaras Lit Fest Book Awards 2025 showcases the exceptional talent of writers and translators. We have received around 1,100 nominations from prominent publishing houses and individual submissions. Our esteemed juries have taken on the mammoth task of carefully preparing this magnificent list. These books offer fresh perspectives and enrich the literary world. We eagerly look forward to the shortlist announcement on February 9th, 2025.”

The shortlist for the Banaras Lit Fest Book Awards 2025 will be announced on February 9, 2025, with the final winners to be revealed during the curtain raiser event of the Banaras Lit Fest on February 23, 2025, at PHDCCI House, New Delhi. Winners in each category will receive a cash prize of Rs 51,000, along with a certificate and a trophy, during the festival.

For more information about the Banaras Lit Fest and the Book Awards, visit the official website.

Location :

Varanasi, India