JCB Prize For Literature, India's Most Celebrated Literary Award, Discontinued

NDTV

6 days ago

In a move that has left the Indian literary world shocked, the JCB Prize for Literature has officialy been discontunued. The Rs 25 lakh award, which honoured the best work of fiction by an Indian author each year, has come to an end with no future editions planned.
A person close to the award told PTI that the award "has shut down" with no official statement from JCB Literature Foundation. The confirmation came on June 21.
The reason remain unclear but the decision follows the cancellation of the license of the JCB Literature Foundation. The organisation is now classified as a "Private Limited" company with no longer functioning as a"foundation", which was established to promote "art of literature in India".
What Is The JCB Literature Award?
Established in 2018, JCB Prize for Literature was one of India's most prestigious and highest-paying literary awards. It was sponsored by JCB India, a leading construction equipment manufacturer and administered by a not-for-profit organization, JCB Literature Foundation. The aim of the prize was to recognise and celebrate outstanding works of fiction by Indian authors, written in English or translated fiction by an Indian writer.
The JCB prize stood out for its emphasis on linguistic diversity. In the past seven years (2018-2024), five were translations from different parts of India, including Malayalam, Tamil, and Urdu. The award also helped bring regional literature into the national spotlight.
Highlights Of The Award:
Rs 25 lakhs were awarded to the winning author.
If the book was translated, the translator received Rs 10 lakh.
Each of the shortlisted authors were awarded Rs 1 lakh each.
Shortlisted translators receieved Rs 50,000.
While the JCB Prize for Literature was short-lived, it has left an lasting impact on India's literary ecosystem, especially in promoting regional writers and translators.