Zubaan @ the Jaipur Literature Festival, at the DSC Prize Ceremony

The exodus is happening as we speak, writers, publishers, members of the fourth estate and book lovers in Delhi and elsewhere will be Jaipur-bound in a few hours, in time for Day 1 of the literature festival.

We at Zubaan are extremely excited because this year, one of our books has been shortlisted for the DSC Literature Prize along with some other fantastic titles. Look out for Chandrakanta, our author, and don’t forget to get your copy of “A Street in Srinagar” written by her and translated by Manisha Chaudhry signed.

You’ll find Chandrakanta at the DSC Prize Announcement Ceremony which takes place on Day 2, from 6.30-7.30pm at the Mughal Tent. The US $50,000 DSC Prize celebrates the richness and diversity of South Asian writing and works of fiction in English or translated to English from any language are eligible. It is open to authors from across the globe as long as the writing is about South Asia.

More about the book:

Chandrakanta: A Street in Srinagar (Zubaan Books, India, Translated by Manisha Chaudhry)

Srinagar, capital city of the famed ‘paradise on earth’, Kashmir. Ailan Gali, a deep, dark narrow lane that lies at its heart, where houses stand on a finger’s width of space and lean crookedly against each other, so deep, so narrow, so closely connected that even thieves do not dare enter. Yet people live and love here, they cling on to their old ways, they share stories and food, joys and sorrows, sufficient unto themselves. But the outside world beckons, youngsters begin to leave, and slowly change makes its way into Ailan Gali only to find its hitherto hidden mirror-image – the change that has insidiously been working its way into the lives of those who are the gali’s permanent residents. This funny, poignant, evocative story of a Kashmir as yet untouched by violence – but with its shadows looming at the edges – is a classic of Hindi literature, available in English translation for the first time.

Chandrakanta Studied in Srinagar and Rajasthan and published her first story in 1967 inKalpana. She has since written and published many novels and short story collections as well as a volume of poetry.

Manisha Chaudhry has translated stories, novels and documents for a range of publishing houses and organisations, from both Hindi and English. She is currently Head, Content Development with Pratham Books.