JCB Prize for Literature shortlist features three translations, two English novels

The shortlist was unveiled by author and translator Jerry Pinto, chair of this year’s jury. “The task of a jury is never easy. Chalk must be compared to cheese as fiction is a large and magnificent chamber of magic and madness. As chairman of the jury, I was purely ornamental; the members were chosen with skill and care so that diverse gazes were turned on the books at hand. We argued much, we discussed things often but we rarely disagreed on fundamental issues,” Pinto said in a statement.

‘Distinctive flavours, compelling voices’

On the shortlisted books, the jury for 2024 said in the statement, “A deliberation on the meaning of life, a delineation of withdrawal and return, Upamanyu Chatterjee's Lorenzo Searches for the Meaning of Life was not afraid of asking questions that cannot be answered easily. Sakyajit Bhattacharya’s electric and spare story-telling was illuminated intelligently by translator Rituparna Mukherjee in The One Legged. Sharankumar Limbale’s Sanatan combined a scholar’s attentiveness and an activist’s passion to a rewriting of Dalit history. Sandhya Mary’s Maria, Just Maria in an elegant translation by Jayasree Kalathil gave us a memorable heroine and her acutely perceptive viewing of family dynamics. Saharu Nusaiba Kannanari’s Chronicle of an Hour and a Half is a page-turner that forces you to slow down and think of the ways in which small towns can punish those who do not toe the line.”

Also read: 2024 JCB Prize for Literature: Longlist split evenly between English novels, translations

In its seventh year, the JCB Prize for Literature is an annual award presented to a distinguished work of fiction by an Indian author, as selected by the jury. The ten-novel longlist, featuring five books originally written in English and five translations, was announced on September 6. Kalathil, the translator who won in 2020 for Moustache, her translation of Meesha by S. Hareesh, returns with a third shortlist nomination. The winner for 2024 will be announced on November 23. The winner will be given a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh. 

If the winning entry is a translation, the translator will be presented with an additional cash prize of Rs 10 lakh. Each of the five authors who make it to the shortlist are awarded Rs one lakh, and if the shortlisted piece is a translation, the translator receives Rs 50,000. Mita Kapur, Literary Director, JCB Prize for Literature, said in a release, “The JCB Shortlist for 2024 reflects how contemporary fiction in India throws up distinctive flavours, compelling voices. Each book is a brave forging forward into uncharted territories in storytelling.”0

Also read: Maria, Just Maria: Life of a Syrian Christian woman in Kerala, beyond madness and reason

A look at the five novels on the 2024 shortlist

1. Maria, Just Maria by Sandhya Mary, translated from the Malayalam by Jayasree Kalathil (HarperCollins Publishers India, 2024): It tells the poignant story of a young woman, Maria, who has stopped speaking following the death of her grandfather — not because she cannot, but because she chooses not to. Now in a psychiatric hospital, Maria reflects on her life growing up in a Syrian Christian family in Kerala. Her memories are populated by eccentric characters: her philosophical dog, her dementia-stricken great-aunt, her prophetic great-grandmother, and a patron saint with a penchant for meddling. Conversations with Karthav Eesho Mishiha (Jesus Christ) further enrich her recollections as she searches for her identity as ‘just Maria’ in a world that questions normality and existence. Sandhya Mary, a media professional and writer, debuted with Maria Verum Maria (2018). Known for tackling serious social issues with humour and humanism, she previously authored a collection of short stories. The novel is masterfully translated by Jayasree Kalathil, an award-winning translator. Kalathil’s skillful translation brings Maria’s rich, complex world to life in English.

2. The One Legged by Sakyajit Bhattacharya, translated from Bengali by Rituparna Mukherjee (Antonym Collections, 2023): It is a haunting tale of a young boy named Tunu, whose life is consumed by the eerie presence of an ancient mansion and the dark secrets it holds. As shadows from a cursed tree encroach upon his nights, Tunu learns that the darkness is not confined to the absence of light but resides deep within the home’s decaying walls. Slowly, as history repeats itself, the boy is transformed, becoming someone new, shaped by the grief, loss, and mysteries surrounding him. Sakyajit Bhattacharya, born in 1982, is a statistician by profession who began his literary journey in 2002. He has since penned nearly 40 short stories and nine novels, including Ekhane Derek Bose Ache, Ekanore, Shesh Mrito Pakhi, and Rakkhoser Ghorbari, a collection of horror stories. Bhattacharya’s works often explore the eerie and bizarre, reflecting his passion for detective fiction, horror, and Catholic art. Translator Rituparna Mukherjee, a professor of English and Communication Studies, is also a poet and writer.

3. Sanatan by Sharankumar Limbale, translated from Marathi by Paromita Sengupta (Penguin Books, 2024): This novel tells the harrowing tale of Bhimnak Mahar and the generations of his family who have suffered centuries of brutal caste-based oppression. The novel opens with Bhimnak as a young boy in pre-Independence India and stretches across time and geography, ending with his grandson’s struggles. Despite changes in identity and religion, the Mahars find themselves trapped in an unbreakable cycle of dehumanisation and systemic inequality. Limbale uses myth, religious texts, and historical references to reframe Dalit history, challenging traditional narratives and envisioning a new, just social order. Sharankumar Limbale, a prominent Dalit author and poet, has written 44 books in Marathi, many of which have been translated into multiple Indian languages. He is best known for Akkarmashi (The Outcaste), his groundbreaking autobiography. His influential book, Towards an Aesthetic of Dalit Literature, is a seminal text in academic circles. Limbale’s work has been recognised with prestigious awards, including the Saraswati Samman. Translator Paromita Sengupta, director of studies at Griffith College, Ireland, is a scholar and translator. She has translated Bengali and English works, including Bimukta and The Liberation of Sita.

Also read: Lorenzo Searches for the Meaning of Life review: A novel limns the quest for self-actualisation

4. Chronicle of an Hour and a Half by Saharu Nusaiba Kannanari (Westland Books, 2024): It is set against the backdrop of a storm-ravaged village in the foothills of the Western Ghats in rural Kerala. While the village of Vaiga grapples with relentless rain, floods, and power cuts, a more dangerous tempest brews beneath the surface. A rumour of an illicit affair spreads rapidly, bringing Saud and his sons to the village in pursuit of Burhan. Fuelled by feverish WhatsApp messages, the rumour spirals into chaos, leading to mob violence and bloodlust. Kannanari’s gripping debut novel, taut and vivid, captures the unsettling descent into madness in just 90 minutes of life-altering turmoil. Kannanari lives in Areekode near Calicut in Kerala. His immersive storytelling and intense narrative style in Chronicle of an Hour and a Half offer a powerful exploration of mob mentality, collective frenzy and human vulnerability.

5. Lorenzo Searches for the Meaning of Life by Upamanyu Chatterjee (Speaking Tiger Books, 2024): It is a thoughtful exploration of the spiritual journey of Lorenzo Senesi, a young man from Aquilina, Italy. After a Vespa accident in 1977 leaves him bedridden, nineteen-year-old Lorenzo begins contemplating life’s bigger questions. His recovery leads him to a physiotherapy course, a prayer group, and, eventually, a Benedictine monastery near Padua, where he will spend a decade. The monastery’s routine of prayer and discipline becomes the foundation of Lorenzo’s life, ultimately sending him to a Benedictine ashram in rural Bangladesh. There, amid the monsoon clouds, he finds purpose in service but grapples with the complexities of love and the realization that a life dedicated to God is both fulfilling and lacking. Chatterjee’s new novel is a quiet yet profound reflection on faith, service, and the pursuit of meaning. Born in Patna in 1959, he is one of India’s most original literary voices. A former officer of the Indian Administrative Service, he is the author of six novels, including English, August. After retiring in 2016, he now dedicates his time to running his household, enjoying the company of his wife and daughters, and pursuing solitary interests.