Biographies of Indian pioneers dominate longlist of NIF Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay Book Prize

New Delhi, Aug 16 (PTI) Books on the lives, works, and philosophies of B R Ambedkar, Vinayak Savarkar, and M Visvesvaraya are among the 10 titles in the longlist for the NIF Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay Book Prize, the New India Foundation announced on Saturday.

The book prize, instituted in 2018, recognises writers of all nationalities who have worked on any aspect of Indian history after Independence. The work can be originally written in English or translated into English. The winning author will be awarded a cash prize of Rs 15 lakh.

The longlist, featuring works published in last year, explores a wide range of themes like biographies of pioneering leaders, cultural icons, political movements, social change, and communities that have shaped India’s trajectory.

"Savarkar and the Making of Hindutva" by Janaki Bakhle, "India’s Forgotten Country: A View from the Margins" by Bela Bhatia, "Iru: The Remarkable Life of Irawati Karve" by Urmilla Deshpande and Thiago Pinto Barbosa, "India’s Near East: A New History" by Avinash Paliwal, "Gods, Guns and Missionaries: The Making of the Modern Hindu Identity" by Manu Pillai, and "Engineering a Nation: The Life and Career of M. Visvesvaraya" by Aparajith Ramnath are among the books that have been longlisted.

The longlist was selected by a Jury, including chairman of Tata Sons and Tata Group N Chandrasekaran, entrepreneur Manish Sabharwal, political scientist Niraja Gopal Jayal, historian Srinath Raghavan, partner trilegal Rahul Matthan, Ambassador Jawed Ashraf and Yamini Aiyar.

"The 8th edition longlist of the Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize features works that are not only distinguished by their research and craft, but also by their ability to weave the threads of the past into the challenges and debates of the present. Together, these books remind us that understanding India is an ongoing, layered journey, one enriched by the rigour, empathy, and imagination of our finest non-fiction writers," Niraja Gopal Jayal said in a statement.

Other books in the competition are "The Backstage of Democracy: India’s Election Campaigns and the People Who Manage Them" by Amogh Dhar Sharma, "Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay: The Art of Freedom" by Nico Slate, "Iconoclast: A Reflective Biography of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar" by Anand Teltumbde, and "The Gujaratis: A Portrait of a Community" by Salil Tripathi.

The shortlist will be announced in October, and the winner will be declared in December. PTI MAH MAH RB RB