Jaipur Literature Festival: Day 5

Spicezee Bureau

Jaipur: On the last day of the Jaipur Literature Festival the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature was announced. DSC Ltd, one of the fastest growing infrastructure companies in India announced the institution of an international literary prize, “The DSC Prize for South Asian Literature”, to celebrate the rich and varied literature connected to the subcontinent. The prize will award US$50,000 to the winner starting from 2011. The award will recognize writers of any ethnicity writing about South Asia and its Diasporas. The books competing for the prize must be an original work of fiction published during 1st April 2009 and 31st March 2010, written in English or translated into English. The judging panel for the DSC prize will comprise persons of eminence in literature, arts and culture. The award will be announced on the final day of the DSC Jaipur Literature Festival in 2011. “The Daily Beast” website agreed to be an associate for this prize to help reach out to global audiences. The prize will be administered by an international advisory panel, of which some of the confirmed members include Tina Brown, Urvashi Butalia, Lord Meghnad Desai, David Godwin, Nayantara Sehgal and Michael Worton. Speaking on the occasion, Mr HS Narula, Chairman of DSC Limited, said “We have supported the DSC Jaipur Literature Festival for the past four years and are delighted to see it grow in stature to become the largest literary event in this region. I would like to use this forum to announce that in continuation of our patronage of literature, we are instituting The DSC Prize for South Asian Literature. This is the first award of its kind and aims to recognize the talents of South Asian writing and support new writing about this region.” Speaking on the occasion Advisory committee members said: “I can think of no better way to end the greatest literary show on earth than with an announcement about this important and exciting new prize. We’re thrilled to be associated with the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature and look forward to introducing The Daily Beast’s readers to the best writers in the region.” – Tina Brown, Co-Founder and Editor, The Daily Beast “My first thought is ‘about time’. South Asia is today one of the most creative regions in the field of literature with its 200 years of history of writing in English and millennia in other languages. This prize will give some creative writers their due” - Lord Meghnad Desai “I am greatly honoured to be invited to join the advisory panel for the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature. I think it is a wonderful initiative and I entirely agree with its project – to recognise the achievements of South Asian writers, some of the best writers in the world.” - David Godwin, Founder David Godwin Associates By instituting this prize, DSC Limited is extending its patronage of literature and the arts and championing a high profile literary award to help raise awareness of South Asian culture and its global influence. It is a seamless extension of its existing sponsorship of the Jaipur Literature Festival, and it hopes to inspire and encourage literary expression in India, South Asia, and the world.