Ashoka University and Balliol College Launch Prestigious £10,000 Creative Nonfiction Prize

Ashoka University, in collaboration with Balliol College, Oxford, has announced an exciting new initiative aimed at celebrating the art of creative nonfiction. The Ved Mehta International Prize in Creative Nonfiction, named after the esteemed writer Ved Mehta, will award £10,000 annually to the best work in this genre that has been published in English, including translations, in the previous year.

This prestigious award reflects a growing recognition of the imaginative forms of nonfiction writing that extend beyond traditional boundaries. The award is set to be presented for the first time in 2026, honoring works published in 2025, with the shortlist to be unveiled in September and the winners announced in November.

The initiative is spearheaded by the Centre for the Creative and the Critical at Ashoka University and aims to acknowledge a diverse range of nonfiction works. This includes memoirs, biographies, critical essays, travel literature, and other innovative formats that challenge conventional genre definitions. If a translated work is selected, the translator will also receive a commendation of £2,000, thereby encouraging the translation of significant works into English.

A key feature of the award will be its adjudication process, which will involve a panel of three judges appointed by an international advisory board composed of representatives from both institutions. This year’s jury includes notable academics such as Merve Emre and Seamus Perry, along with the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Vijay Seshadri. Their expertise is expected to ensure that the prize honors the most deserving works in the field of creative nonfiction.

The establishment of the Ved Mehta International Prize is a significant step in promoting literary excellence and creativity in nonfiction writing, especially within the Indian and global literary communities. It offers a platform for both established and emerging writers to gain recognition for their contributions to the genre.

Source: scroll.in