Six authors on USD 50000 DSC Prize shortlist

London: Stories about an Indian family's American dream turning sour, childhood experiences of violence and sexual abuse in a temple town in India besides a translation about a woman executioner are among the contenders for the USD 50,000 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature.

Booker nominated author Neel Mukherjee, London-based novelists Akhil Sharma and Mirza Waheed besides writers Anuradha Roy and Raj Kamal Jha are among 6 authors shortlisted for the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2016, which is scheduled to be announced at the Galle Literary Festival in Sri Lanka, January 16 next year. Established in 2010 the award is given to an author of any nationality writing about South Asia and its people.

This year's shortlist announced at the London School of

Economics last evening includes a translated work of Malayalam book "Hang Woman" by K R Meera and translated by J Devika. Other books are Akhil Sharma's "Family Life", Anuradha Roy's "Sleeping on Jupiter", K R Meera's "Hang Woman", Mirza Waheed's "The Book of Gold Leaves", Neel Mukherjee's "The Lives of Others" and Raj Kamal Jha's "She Will Build Him A City."

This year's shortlist was judged by an international five

member jury panel chaired by renowned journalist Mark Tully, UK professor Dennis Walder, book seller and literary coordinator Karen Allman, English Professor at the University of Colombo, Neloufer de Mel and writer, translator, critic and academic from Bangladesh Syed Manzoorul Islam. "We have had to make difficult decisions because all the books on the very varied long-list could qualify for the shortlist. Our final list still reflects the variety and vigour of South Asian fiction writing and writing about South Asia," Tully said.

"One of the most striking features of the list is the quality of writing. The novels are also remarkable for their realism and for the way they convey atmosphere. I am particularly glad that a translation from a South Asian language into English is included in the shortlist," he said. The prize encourages writing in regional languages and the prize money is equally shared between the author and the translator in case a translated entry wins.

Surina Narula, co-founder of the DSC Prize said, "It was a difficult process for the jury to whittle down the longlist to just six shortlisted entries; but I think they have chosen wisely. The array of talent that we continue to showcase is breathtaking and reflective of the South Asia's changing dynamics."