Book in Nepali in the run for JCB Prize for Literature

SUJAL PRADHAN,  EOI, GANGTOK, OCTOBER 22, 2022 :  Song of the Soil, originally written in the Nepali by Chuden Kabimo, translated to English by Ajit Baral and edited by Anurag Basnet, has made it to the top five alongside other powerful writings from India in the JCB Prize for Literature 2022 that was announced in Kolkata on Friday night. 

The book has been published by Rachna Books in India and FinePrint Books in Nepal. All the five books on the 2022 JCB Prize for Literature shortlist are translations, representing five languages, Bengali, Urdu, Malayalam, Hindi and Nepali. 

The diverse books are an exploration of the lives of the marginalised, an account of the happenings in a middle-class Muslim joint family, a story about migrants deep inside the Western Ghats, a genre-bending look at the impact of borders and boundaries on relationships, and a story spun around the1980s Gorkhaland movement.

Speaking on the occasion, publisher Raman Shresta said: “This is a great time to highlight writing in our regional languages and also translating them to English. The stories are beginning to emerge and the huge treasury of literature out there in the vernacular languages is gaining keen interest worldwide. As a small, independent publisher, we feel extremely lucky making it to the shortlist. We are thankful to the JCB Foundation for Literature, the jury and the supporters of small independent publishing houses and bookstores over the years.” 

The JCB Prize for Literature of Rs 25 lakh prize will be announced on November 19