Author Geetanjali Shree’s novel ‘Tomb of Sand’ on Thursday became the first Hindi language work of fiction to be shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2022. The book was translated into English by Daisy Rockwell and described by the judges as a “loud and irresistible novel”. Shree’s book will compete with five other titles from around the world which will bag a literary prize of 50,000 pounds, split evenly between the author and translator.
“It is recognition of a very special kind. When a work appeals to unknown people sitting in faraway places, then it must have the ability to transcend its specific cultural context and touch the universal and the human,” Shree said in a statement.
The other five titles in the shortlist announced at the London Book Fair include: ‘Cursed Bunny’ by Bora Chung, translated by Anton Hur from Korean; ‘A New Name: Septology VI-VII’ by Jon Fosse, translated by Damion Searls from Norwegian; ‘Heaven’ by Mieko Kawakami, translated by Samuel Bett and David Boyd from Japanese; ‘Elena Knows’ by Claudia Piñeiro, translated by Frances Riddle from Spanish; and ‘The Books of Jacob’ by Olga Tokarczuk, translated by Jennifer Croft from Polish.
This is for the first time, the shortlisted authors and translators will each receive 2,500 pounds from 1,000 pounds in previous years.
“The constantly shifting perspectives and timeframes of Geetanjali Shree’s inventive, energetic ‘Tomb of Sand’ lead us into every cranny of an 80-year-old woman’s life and surprising past,” the judges said of Geetanjali Shree’s Hindi novel.
Geetanjali Shree is the author of several short stories and five novels. She has also written a critical work on Premchand. Her first story, “Bel Patra” (1987) was published in the literary magazine Hans and was followed by a collection of short stories Anugoonj (1991).
