Anuk Arudpragasam has been announced as the winner of the prestigious DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2017 for his novel, The Story of a Brief Marriage at the Dhaka Lit Fest in Bangladesh. Told in meditative, nuanced and powerful prose, this shattering novel marks the arrival of an extraordinary new literary voice. In a glittering award ceremony, the US $25,000 DSC Prize was awarded to the winner along with a unique trophy by Hon’ble Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, Minister of Finance of Bangladesh.
The DSC Prize for South Asian Literature is an established international literary prize that awards the best work in South Asian fiction writing each year. This year the DSC Prize had received 60 eligible entries with participation from publishers from the South Asian region as well as from countries like the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia and South Africa amongst others.
The five shortlisted authors and novels in contention for the DSC Prize this year were Anjali Joseph: The Living, Anuk Arudpragasam: The Story of a Brief Marriage, Aravind Adiga: Selection Day, Karan Mahajan: The Association of Small Bombs and Stephen Alter: In the Jungles of the Night.
Speaking on the occasion, Ritu Menon, on behalf of the jury said,“The Story of a Brief Marriage is impressive for its intensity and rich detail, and for exploring the tragic heart of war with such quiet eloquence. It is also a testament to the redemptive power of love, and to the human spirit's capacity for hope.”
The DSC Prize for South Asian Literature is an established international literary prize that awards
the best work in South Asian fiction writing each year. This year the DSC Prize had received 60 eligible
entries with participation from publishers from the South Asian region as well as from countries like the
UK, the USA, Canada, Australia and South Africa amongst others. The DSC Prize for South Asian Literature which is specifically focused on South Asian writing is unique in the sense that it is not ethnicity driven in terms of the author’s origin and is open to any author belonging to any part of the globe as long as the work is based on the South Asian region and its people. The past winners have been from various countries and their work has reflected the importance of South Asian culture and literature.