Five shortlisted for DSC prize

A five-member jury has announced the much-awaited shortlist of five novels for the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2017.

Ritu Menon, along with four other jurors, revealed the list in front of the world's literati gathered at the London School of Economics and Political Science on Wednesday, says a press release.

The shortlist represents a diverse mix of established writers and young novelists fast making their mark in the South Asian literary landscape.

The five authors hail from different backgrounds and geographies and include three Indian writers, of which two are based outside the South Asian region, one Sri Lankan writer, and one American writer based in India.

The five shortlisted entries are "The Living" by Anjali Joseph, "The Story of a Brief Marriage" by Anuk Arudpragasam, "Selection Day" by  Aravind Adiga, "The Association of Small Bombs" by Karan Mahajan, and "In the Jungles of the Night" by Stephen Alter.

The jury will now deliberate on the shortlist over the next one month and a half, and the winner will be announced at Dhaka Literary Festival on November 18, 2017.

In August, a long-list of 13 novels was disclosed in New Delhi. The US $25,000 DSC Prize, which was instituted by Surina Narula and Manhad Narula in 2010, is one of the most prestigious international literary awards specifically focused on South Asian writing. 

Past winners of the prize were HM Naqvi (2011) of Pakistan, Shehan Karunatilaka (2012) of Sri Lanka, and Jeet Thayil (2013), Cyrus Mistry (2014), Jhumpa Lahiri (2015), and Anuradha Roy (2016) from India.

In line with its South Asian essence, the DSC Prize award ceremony is held in various South Asian countries by rotation.