Punjabi literary prize releases 2024 shortlist for awards valued at $51,000

Sponsors:

Richmond, B.C. (September 05, 2024) – The world’s signature contest for Punjabi novels and short story collections, based in Vancouver, B.C., released its 2024 shortlist of seven new works of fiction. At stake is $51,000 in prizes.

The Dhahan Prize for Punjabi Literature awards a main prize valued at $25,000 CAD, along with two finalist prizes valued at $10,000 CAD each. As of 2024, an additional $6,000 CAD is awarded for the transliteration of winning books into Gurmukhi or Shahmukhi.

“Our goal is to make known the excelling works of Punjabi fiction that are released each year, to the wider public. As an organization, we have always strived for the bridging of the two Punjabs. Transliteration is one of the most effective ways to do that.

“We hope that through transliteration, more of these curated books will make it into the hands of Punjabis around the world,” says Barj S. Dhahan, the primary founder of the Prize.

Awardees are also provided with airfare and hotel accommodations in Vancouver, to attend award ceremonies on November 14, 2024, at Northview Golf & Country Club, Surrey, B.C., Canada.

The 2024 Dhahan Prize Short List, ਢਾਹਾਂ ਇਨਾਮ 2024 ਦੀ ਛੋਟੀ ਸੂਚੀ, ڈھاہاں انعام 2024 دی چھوٹی سوچی

“2024 is a very rich year for the Dhahan Prize, not only in quantity (we received 54 submissions) but also in quality. Our juries did a great job shortlisting the submitted works by selecting the ones that best enrich Punjabi fiction and literature.

“The shortlisted books encompass current issues relating to Punjabis in several countries. Themes include the environment, women’s empowerment, caste, human relationships between males and females, Punjabi diaspora and more,” says Zubair Ahmad, Chair of the Dhahan Prize Advisory Board, as well as a 2014 & 2020 Dhahan Prize Finalist.

“The authors have demonstrated excellent command of storytelling. We also feel we have good candidates for English translation,” continues Ahmad.

Launched in 2013, the The Dhahan Prize for Punjabi Literature has garnered international recognition among literary creators and critics in the Punjabi community. This year, submissions arrived from India, Pakistan, Australia, USA and Canada.

Book selections are made by multiple jury committees composed of academics and literature icons who specialize in either Gurmukhi or Shahmukhi scripts.

Juries are tasked with representing at least one Ghurmukhi and one Shahmukhi book in their selections (i.e. the two writing systems used by Punjabi speakers in India and Pakistan, respectively).

Three finalists are yet to be announced on September 12, 2024 at Simon Fraser University Surrey Campus, Classroom 5080, between 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Finalists will travel to Vancouver in November to attend multiple literary events, including the Dhahan Prize Ceremonies, where the winner will be announced.

This year’s ceremonies are set to feature Punjabi assistant professor and researcher Kiran K. Sunar as the keynote, along with musical performers Sunny Matharu (tabla), Pavittar Singh (dilruba esraj) and Saanjh Jaura (vocalist).

The Prize was created as a collaboration between the Canada India Education Society (CIES) and the University of British Columbia (UBC), Department of Asian Studies.

Its presenting sponsor is Royal Bank of Canada’s Community Involvement. Corporate sponsors include Westland Insurance, G.L. Smith Planning and Design and Adrian Keenan Personal Real Estate Corporation, among others.

Barj Dhahan, co-founder of CIES, along with his family and friends, are primary supporters of the Prize.

About The Dhahan Prize for Punjabi Literature: https://dhahanprize.com/about/

Contact information:

[email protected] 

(604) 278-6721

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DhahanPrize

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DhahanPrize

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dhahanprize/

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