Books by women authors dominate Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize shortlist

In a first, all five books shortlisted for the 2022 Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay New India Foundation (NIF) Book Prize, which recognizes and celebrates outstanding non-fiction writings on modern and contemporary India, are by women authors and translators. The shortlist was announced on Tuesday.

The shortlisted books range from histories of nationalism through local voices, to analysis of an environmental movement, the portrait of a diverse community, and contemporary ideas of feminism and data — all converging towards an optimistic future.

Celebrating excellence in non-fiction literature about India

The Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay Book Prize celebrates excellence in non-fiction literature about India, published in the previous calendar year by emerging writers of all nationalities. Established in 2018, the Book Prize carries a cash award of Rs 15 lakh and a citation.

This year, the Jury has selected five powerful books from the ten longlisted titles. Each shortlisted book is representative of the incredible variety and strength of the non-fiction narratives emerging from our multi-layered society. According to a release by the NIF, these books are each thoroughly researched and lucidly written. They engender conscious conversation and intricately blend the country’s rich history with compelling contemporary ideas.

The jury 

This year’s jury includes political scientist and author Niraja Gopal Jayal (chair); entrepreneur Manish Sabharwal; historian and author Srinath Raghavan; historian and author Nayanjot Lahiri; former diplomat and author Navtej Sarna; and attorney and author Rahul Matthan.

Also read: Longlist for the 2022 Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize announced

According to the Jury, “This year’s shortlist is extraordinary, in terms of the wide range of themes covered, and the diversity of topics and perspectives. Deeply researched and engagingly written, these books offer keen insights into the making of India today and the transitions it is currently undergoing.”

The shortlist:

1. Accidental Feminism: Gender Parity and Selective Mobility Among India’s Professional Elite by Swethaa S. Ballakrishnen (Princeton University Press)

2. The Chipko Movement: A People’s History by Shekhar Pathak, translated by Manisha Chaudhry (Permanent Black & Ashoka University)

3. Whole Numbers and Half Truths: What Data Can and Cannot Tell Us About Modern India by Rukmini S. (Context/Westland)

4. Midnight’s Borders: A People’s History of Modern India by Suchitra Vijayan (Context/Westland)

5. Born a Muslim: Some Truths about Islam in India by Ghazala Wahab (Aleph)

Winners to be announced on December 1

The Kamaladevi Chattopadhayay NIF Book Prize builds on the NIF’s mission of rewarding exceptional scholarship on all aspects of independent India. The prize was named after Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, the great patriot and institution-builder who had contributed significantly to the freedom struggle, to the women’s movement, to refugee rehabilitation and to the renewal of handicrafts.

The previous winners of the prize include Milan Vaishnav for his remarkable book When Crime Pays: Money and Muscle in Indian Politics (HarperCollins Publishers) in 2018 and Ornit Shani for her scholarly work How India Became Democratic (Penguin Random House) in 2019.

The 2020 Prize was jointly awarded to Amit Ahuja for his outstanding debut Mobilizing the Marginalized: Ethnic Parties Without Ethnic Movements (Oxford University Press) and Jairam Ramesh for his compelling biography of VK Krishna Menon, A Chequered Brilliance (Penguin Random House).

Dinyar Patel won the 2021 Book Prize for his scholarly biography on Naoroji: Pioneer of Indian Nationalism (Harvard University Press). The longlist comprising ten books was announced on September 29. The winners will be announced on December 1, 2022.