Sudha Murty, Ruchir Joshi, Prajakta Koli among top winners at Crossword Book Awards 2025

New Delhi, Dec 4 (PTI) Writer Ruchir Joshi's "Great Eastern Hotel", Prajakta Koli's debut novel "Too Good To Be True", Mohar Basu’s biography on Shah Rukh Khan and bestselling children’s author Sudha Murty's "Grandpa’s Bag of Stories" were among the winners at the coveted 19th Crossword Book Awards for both jury and popular choice categories.

The awards ceremony, held at the LaLit Mumbai on Wednesday, honoured distinguished works across fiction, non-fiction, business writing, children’s literature and translations.

The 'Jury Awards' showcased a diverse range of winners. Joshi’s "Great Eastern Hotel", a 920-page depiction of 1940s Calcutta, took home the fiction award, while historian Manu S Pillai’s "Gods, Guns and Missionaries: The Making of the Modern Hindu Identity", acclaimed for its insightful exploration of Hindu identity, won in the non-fiction category.

In the other categories, Varsha Seshan’s "The Wall Friends Club" received the children’s books award, and the business and management prize went to former RBI Governor Duvvuri Subbarao for "Just a Mercenary? Notes from My Life and Career". The translations award was presented to "The Day the Earth Bloomed" by Manoj Kuroor, translated from Malayalam by J Devika.

Meanwhile, in the 'Popular Choice Awards', determined entirely by reader votes, Koli’s candid coming-of-age novel "Too Good To Be True" claimed the fiction category, and Basu’s widely discussed biography "Shah Rukh Khan" won in the non-fiction category. In children’s literature, Murty’s beloved "Grandpa’s Bag of Stories" emerged as the readers’ favourite.

Business & Management honours went to Thomas Mathew for "Ratan Tata", while Sadhguru’s "Enlightenment" secured the mind, body & spirit award.

"We are thrilled by the range and depth of talent recognised this year. The awards stand as a definitive benchmark for literary discovery, celebrating voices that are original, impactful and essential reading. We believe these titles will spark conversations, shape perspectives and inspire an entire generation of readers," Aakash Gupta, CEO of Crossword Book Stores, said in a statement.

The evening's highlight was also the presentation of the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' to renowned writer, translator, and theatre critic Shanta Gokhale, whose work has had a profound impact on Marathi literature and significantly enriched the national literary scene.

Gokhale became the fifth recipient of this prestigious award, following Ruskin Bond, Sudha Murty, Shashi Tharoor, and Amitav Ghosh. PTI MG MG MG