The Dhahan Prize awards $25,000 CDN annually to one “best book in fiction” published in either of the two Punjabi scripts, Gurmukhi or Shahmukhi. Two runner-up prizes of $5,000 are also awarded, with the provision that both scripts are represented among the three winners.
The Dhahan Prize is awarded by Canada India Education Society (CIES) in partnership with the Department of Asian Studies in the Faculty of Arts at University of British Columbia (UBC). The prize is funded by an endowment from Barj and Rita Dhahan, and family and friends.
The winners of the inaugural Dhahan Prize in Punjabi Literature are:
* First Prize of $25,000: Khali Khoohaan di Katha (Novel) by Avtar Singh Billing (Gurmukhi script)
* Runner-up Prize of $5,000: Ik Raat da Samunder (Short stories) by Jasbir Bhullar (Gurmukhi script)
Jasbir Bhullar
* Runner-up Prize of $5,000: Kbooter, Bnairy te Galian (Short stories) by Zubair Ahmed (Shahmukhi script)
“I feel happy and lucky to be the first author to win the prestigious,
inaugural Dhahan Prize in Punjabi Literature,” said Billing, author of Khali Khoohan di Katha. “[Canada India Education Society] and the University of British Columbia have really created history by establishing such a unique, international award for Punjabi fiction. I feel proud that the Punjabi literary world found my sixth novel worthy of this honour.”
Punjabi literature has a long and rich literary heritage and is produced around the world. Barj S. Dhahan, co-founder of CIES said: “Punjabi has been a Canadian language for 115 years and it is exciting that this prize is uniquely a Canadian undertaking.”
The Prize Advisory Committee has been central to developing an independent and impartial jury of senior writers and scholars to adjudicate the prize. Professor Anne Murphy, chair of the prize advisory committee said: “We have three juries: one to choose Shahmukhi books, one for Gurmukhi books, and one Central Jury that determines the winner. There is no overlap among the juries and the names of members are not disclosed until after adjudication is complete. It is crucial that we always maintain a strong and fair process.”
On Friday, October 24, the Dhahan Prize will host a public reading at SFU Surrey from 6:30 – 8 p.m., followed by a reception. Prize winners will read from their winning books in Punjabi, with translation to English. The evening is co-presented with SFU World Literature Program, and will include a question and answer portion, as well as a reception to mingle with our honoured guests. The next day, on Saturday, October 25, the winners of the Dhahan Prize in Punjabi Literature will be honoured at a gala reception at the Museum of Anthropology at University of British Columbia.
More information can be found at www.dhahanprize.com
DHAHAN PRIZE: 2015 CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
18 Dec in Prize Submissionsby Dhahan Prize
Submissions for the 2015 Dhahan Prize for Punjabi Literature will be accepted from January 1 to March 15, 2015.
The Dhahan Prize for Punjabi Literature was established to recognize excellence in Punjabi literature and inspire the creation of Punjabi literature across borders. The prize is awarded at the international level each year to three books of fiction in Punjabi written in either of two scripts, Gurmukhi or Shahmukhi.
Founded in 2013, the Dhahan Prize awards a $25,000 CDN first prize, and two second prizes of $5,000 CDN each. Both Punjabi scripts must be represented among the three winners.
Submission guidelines for 2015
All submissions must be received in both ELECTRONIC and HARD COPY form.
Submissions with two hard copies of the book will be accepted from January 1, 2015 to March 15, 2015 at the following address:
Canada-India Education Society
Unit 1058- 2560 Shell Road,
Richmond, BC V6X 0B8
Canada
Electronic submissions must be submitted online at www.dhahanprize.com.
Questions about the prize submission process and eligibility can be sent to info@dhahanprize.com.
Eligibility
- To be eligible, every book must be a first-edition novel or short story collection written in either the Shahmukhi or Gurmukhi scripts. Reprints of previously published works are not eligible; some excerpts or selections of a book may have been previously published, but this should not constitute more than half of the work.
- Books should be submitted to the Prize by an author or any other persons on his/her behalf with explicit permission to do so.
- The submitted book must be published in the year prior to the year in which award will be presented. Ex. It must be published in 2014 to be eligible for the 2015 prize.
- Two hard copies and an electronic version of the book are required. The electronic version of the book should be submitted electronically, and the two hard copies of the book should be submitted by mail.
- The submitted books must have an ISBN Number printed on it.
- All entries must be received both electronically and in hard-copy form by March 15, 2015.
- No author may win the prize again within five years.
