Atta Galatta Bangalore Literature Festival Reveals Longlists for 2024 Book Prizes

The Atta Galatta Bangalore Literature Festival is set to celebrate literary excellence as it announces the longlists for its 2024 Fiction and Nonfiction Book Prizes. The much-anticipated shortlist is scheduled to be revealed in November, culminating in the announcement of the winners during the festival, which will take place from December 11 to 13 in Bangalore.

This year, the longlisted titles showcase a diverse array of voices and narratives, reflecting the rich tapestry of Indian literature. In the Fiction category, notable entries include ‘Absolute Jafar’ by Sarnath Banerjee and ‘Allah Miyan’s Workshop,’ penned by Mohsin Khan and translated from Urdu by Maaz Bin Bilal. Other intriguing works on the list are ‘And I Am the Arrow’ by Pia Ghosh-Roy, ‘August 17’ by S Hareesh, and ‘Egrets, While War: Poems’ by Tishani Doshi.

In addition to these, the fiction longlist features ‘Gold Sand, Gold Water’ by Nalini Bera, translated from Bengali by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar, and ‘Railsong’ by Rahul Bhattacharya. The selection further includes ‘The Complex’ by Karan Mahajan and ‘The First House’ by Avni Doshi, along with ‘The Last of Earth’ by Deepa Anappara and ‘The Man from Kashmir’ by Muddasir Ramzan. Rounding out the fiction category is ‘The Sky Husband’ by Easterine Kire, marking a rich and varied exploration of contemporary themes.

On the nonfiction front, the longlist features a compelling mix of narratives that delve into various aspects of Indian society and culture. Anuradha Roy’s ‘Called by the Hills: A Home in the Himalaya’ and Sandip Roy’s ‘Chapal Rani, The Last Queen of Bengal: The Life and Times of a Female Impersonator’ stand out as thought-provoking reads. Other noteworthy titles include ‘Dalit Women and the Fullness of Life’ by Christina Dhanuja and ‘Her Story, Her Glory: The Making of Women’s Cricket in India’ by Aditya Bhushan.

The longlist also includes ‘I Love My Amma’ by Vasudhendra, translated from Kannada, and ‘In the Beginning There Was Bombay Duck: A Food History of Mumbai’ by Pronoti Datta. Furthermore, ‘Love Jihad: A Feminist Retelling’ by Sameena Dalwai and ‘Rootless and Restless: A Woman’s Search for Meaningful Adventure in Distant Places’ by Shivya Nath provide insightful perspectives on pressing issues. The nonfiction list concludes with ‘Scamlands: Inside the Asian Empire of Fraud that Preys on the World’ by Snigdha Poonam and ‘The Dig: Keeladi and the Politics of India’s Past’ by Sowmiya Ashok.

The festival continues to be a significant platform for literary discourse in India, fostering connections between writers and readers. As anticipation builds for the shortlist announcement in November, the literary community looks forward to recognizing the exceptional talents that contribute to the vibrant landscape of Indian literature.

Source: scroll.in