Kannada author Jayant Kaikini's translated work wins DSC Prize
Kolkata, Jan 25: Kannada author Jayant Kaikini was Friday named the winner of the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2018 for his translated work "No Presents Please".
This is the first time that a translated work has won the USD 25,000 prize.
The announcement was made at the Tata Steel Kolkata Literary Meet at the iconic Victoria Memorial Hall here. The award was given to Kaikini and translator Tejaswini Niranjana, along with a trophy by eminent writer Ruskin Bond.
According to the presenters, "No Presents Please" is vivid yet full of contradictions, spirited yet lonely, embattled yet big-hearted the city of Mumbai.
Empathy and survival are the constant, co-dependent themes that unify every strand of this extraordinary book, creating a shimmering mosaic of a conflicted city that is as kind as it is, at times, cruel, the DSC Group said.
According to the prize process, the award money would be equally shared between the author and the translator.
"No Presents Please" is published by HarperCollins India.
The other shortlisted authors were Kamila Shamsie ("Home Fire"), Manu Joseph ("Miss Laila Armed And Dangerous"), Mohsin Hamid ("Exit West"), Neel Mukherjee ("A State Of Freedom") and Sujit Saraf ("Harilal & Sons").
Jury Chair Rudrangshu Mukherjee said the panel was deeply impressed by the quiet voice of Kaikini through which he presented vignettes of life in Mumbai and made the city the protagonist of a coherent narrative.
"The Mumbai that came across through the pen of Kaikini was the city of ordinary people who inhabit the bustling metropolis. It is a view from the margins and all the more poignant because of it.
"This is the first time that this award is being given to a translated work and the jury would like to recognise the outstanding contribution of Tejaswini Niranjana, the translator," he said.
The DSC Prize for South Asian Literature, which was instituted in 2010, awards the best work in South Asian fiction writing each year.
The past winners have been from various countries and their work has reflected the importance of South Asian culture and literature.
Surina Narula, co-founder of the DSC Prize said, "The challenges faced by the authors to weave their protests against the wave of anti-globalisation into their writings of seemingly harmless pieces of literature could be seen through their work, migration being a major theme this year."
Besides Mukherjee, the jury comprised Nandana Sen, Claire Armitstead, Tissa Jayatilaka, and Firdous Azim.
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IPL first phase schedule announced amid travel concerns caused by war in West Asia
New Delhi (PTI): Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 opener in Bengaluru on March 28 as the BCCI announced the first phase of the tournament schedule amid concerns around players' travel arrangements due to the ongoing West Asia conflict.
All matches scheduled at the Chinnaswamy Stadium remain subject to clearance from the Karnataka government appointed expert committee, which is scheduled to meet on March 13 to assess venue preparedness in the wake of the deadly stampede at the stadium last season.
The BCCI announced the schedule of the first 20 games on Wednesday and will unveil the full schedule once the dates of elections in three states -- Tamil Nadu, Assam and West Bengal -- are announced.
Besides the state elections, the escalating conflict in West Asia will also be at the forefront of BCCI officials' minds. The war has wreaked havoc to international travel with operations of major airports like Doha and Dubai being heavily restricted.
As a result of that, some of the squad members of South Africa and West Indies are yet to reach home a week after the completion of their T20 World Cup campaign.
It remains to be seen if IPL bound players of those two nations report to their respective teams in time.
"There was a substantial delay in departure of West Indies and South Africa players. It would be a tough task to get them back to India on time. Plus the airfares have gone up substantially due to the war in West Asia," a team official told PTI.
Additionally, hotels across India are facing cooking gas shortage due to the raging conflict and on Tuesday, the central government invoked Essential Commodities Act to ensure uninterrupted supply of domestic cooking gas.
Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanthan told PTI that he is expecting his players from the West Indies and South Africa -- Akeal Hossein and Dewald Brevis, to join the team well before their IPL opener.
"We are expecting no delays from their end," he said.
The second game of the opening weekend will see Mumbai Indians host Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium and the opening weekend will not feature any double-headers.
A total of 20 matches will be played across 10 venues: Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, New Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.
"During the season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play five home matches in Bengaluru and two in Raipur. Punjab Kings will play four home matches in New Chandigarh and three in Dharamshala, while Rajasthan Royals will play three home matches in Guwahati and four in Jaipur," said the BCCI in a statement.
"During this period (the first 16 days), the tournament will feature four double-headers, with the afternoon matches beginning at 03:30 PM IST and the evening matches commencing at 07:30 PM IST.
"Following the opening encounter on Saturday, Mumbai Indians will take on Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
"The matches scheduled in Bengaluru are subject to clearance from the Expert Committee constituted by the Government of Karnataka," the BCCI added.
