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Atta Galatta Bangalore LitFest Book Prize Longlist Announced, Women Writers Shine

The list constitutes works by debut novelists as well as those previously honoured with other literary awards. Several books have authentic storylines tied to the traditions of India, centred around female characters. 

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Tanvi Akhauri
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The 2020 longlist for the Atta Galatta Bangalore Literature Festival Book Prize is out and is hearteningly populated by several women writers whose acclaimed novels have made the cut. The prestigious literary prizes span two categories: 12 titles in fiction and 10 in non-fiction, and enclose cash rewards upward of one lakh rupees, along with a sculpture trophy.

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Atta Galatta in Bangalore is a library-cum-cultural space that serves as a confluence of artistic exchanges (workshops, storytelling, readings) amidst a rustic cafe-like atmosphere. They reportedly have over 10,000 books across Indian languages. Together with the Bangalore Literature Festival, Atta Galatta has been organising its literary awards since 2015. A third category, whose list hasn't yet been released, honours one author for the Literary Achievement Award in Kannada.

Also Read: JCB 2020 Shortlist Announced, Debut Novels And Women Authors Dominate The List

About AG Longlist For 2020, Fiction

Here is the official announcement for fiction titles:

The 12 titles for this year in the fiction category are:

  • Bombay Balchão (Jane Borges)
  • Chorashastra (VJ James, translated by Morley J Nair)
  • Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line (Deepa Anappara)
  • Hijab (Guruprasad Kaginele, translated by Pavan N Rao)
  • In Search of Heer (Manjul Bajaj)
  • Kintsugi: A Novel (Anukrti Upadhyay)
  • Taboo: A Novel (Nirmala Govindarajan)
  • The Alchemy of Secrets (Priya Balasubramanian)
  • The Lion Of Kashmir (Siddhartha Gigoo)
  • The Man Who Learnt to Fly but Could Not Land (Thachom Poyil Rajeevan, translated by PJ Mathew)
  • Undertow (Jahnavi Barua)
  • What's Wrong with You, Karthik? (Siddhartha Vaidyanathan)

Out of these, Anappara and Barua's novels also featured on the prestigious JCB Literature Prize Longlist 2020 honouring ten authors. Anappara’s Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line reached the shortlist and was also reportedly longlisted for this year’s Women’s Prize for Fiction, while a portion of the book won the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize, the Bridport/Peggy Chapman-Andrews Award, and the Deborah Rogers Foundation Writers Award.

Debut novelists like Borges and Balasubramanian have also made the longlist. Other women on the list are at least a couple titles old, with Govindarajan, Upadhyay, and Bajaj's previous books received to widespread acclaim. The books have authentic storylines tied to the traditions of India, centred around female characters. Bajaj's In Search of Heer, for instance, is a modern retelling of the Heer-Ranjha love story, with an empowering feminist angle.

Also Read: Why I Write: I Have Stories To Tell And Experiences To Share

About AG Longlist For 2020, Non-Fiction

Here is the official announcement for non-fiction titles:

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The 10 titles for this year in the fiction category are:

  • 2019: How Modi Won India (Rajdeep Sardesai)
  • Bland Fanatics: Liberals, Race and Empire (Pankaj Mishra)
  • Let Me Say it Now (Rakesh Maria)
  • Panjab: Journeys Through Fault Lines (Amandeep Sandhu)
  • Sebastian and Sons: A Brief History of Mrdangam Makers (TM Krishna)
  • Sex and the Supreme Court: How the Law is Upholding the Dignity of the Indian Citizen (Saurabh Kirpal) (Ed)
  • The Death Script: Dreams and Delusions in Naxal Country (Ashutosh Bhardwaj)
  • The Indian Army: Reminiscences, Reforms & Romance (HS Panag)
  • The Unquiet River: A Biography of the Brahmaputra (Arupjyoti Saikia)
  • Why Men Rape: An Indian Undercover Investigation (Tara Kaushal)

The non-fiction longlist meanwhile features only one woman writer, Tara Kaushal, for her debut work Why Men Rape: An Indian Undercover Investigation. Talking about the scope of her novel, she told us in a 2017 interview, "This extensive research will contribute deep insights to the discourse on the sexual violence and rape in India — brought to the forefront since the infamous ‘Nirbhaya’ gang rape of 2012 — as a step towards providing solutions to the problem." Her book released this year in June.

Kaushal has spoken to SheThePeople on several other counts, expounding upon the issues of women's safety, the male gaze, rape culture in India, and the significance of empowering women today.

Listen to her talk about sexual terrorism here: 

https://www.facebook.com/779077195456828/videos/972123426639385

#literature Women Authors Bangalore Atta Galatta djinn patrol
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