Who is Geetanjali Shree, the first Hindi novelist to win International Booker Prize
'Tomb of Sand' has become the first book in any Indian language to win the prestigious International Booker Prize.
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FollowA Hindi novelist from Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh, Geetanjali Shree (64), is the first Indian to be nominated for one of the most prestigious literary prize awards. The author of three novels and several story collections, Shree is the first Hindi novelist to win the International Booker Prize for her novel, 'Tomb of Sand,' or originally 'Ret Samadhi.' With this achievement, 'Tomb of Sand' has become the first book in any Indian language to win the prestigious International Booker Prize.
Shree's work has been translated into several languages, including English, French, German, Serbian, and Korean, and has received and been nominated for several awards and fellowships. 'Tomb of Sand' is one of her first books released in the United Kingdom.
Reflecting on becoming the first work of fiction in Hindi to be shortlisted for the Booker Prize, the author said it feels good to be a part of that happening.
Shree said, "But, behind me and this book, there is a vibrant literary tradition in Hindi and other South Asian languages. Knowing some of the best writers in these languages will enrich world literature. Such interaction will broaden one's life vocabulary."
Shree's book, translated into English by Daisy Rockwell, a painter, writer, and translator, was described by the judges as a "loud and irresistible novel" and competed for the prestigious 50,000 pounds literary prize with five other titles from around the world.
The New Delhi-based writer said she was "completely overwhelmed" by the "bolt from the blue" as she accepted her prize, worth GBP 50,000 and shared it with the book's English translator, Daisy Rockwell, at a ceremony in London on Thursday (May 27).
"I never imagined winning the Booker, and I never thought I could. What an incredible honour; I am amazed, delighted, honoured, and humbled," said Shree in her acceptance speech, adding, "There's a melancholy satisfaction in getting the award."
About the novel Tomb of Sand,
The novel is set in northern India and follows an 80-year-old woman who falls into a deep depression after her husband's death and then emerges to find a new lease on life. To her family's dismay, she insists on visiting Pakistan, confronting the unresolved trauma of her teenage Partition experiences while re-evaluating what it means to be a mother, a daughter, a woman, and a feminist.
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