For the first time this year, a English work has been nominated for the Booker Prize. Every year on these days a list of writers from around the world nominated for this award is released. This time the translated novel ‘Tomb of Sand’ by Gitanjali Shri of India has been included in this list. For the first time a English composition has got a place in this list.
Gitanjali Shree’s translated English novel ‘Tomb of Sand’ is one of the 13 books shortlisted for the International Booker Prize. Daisy Rockwell has translated the original English novel titled ‘Reet Samadhi’ into English. It is the story of an 80-year-old woman who remains extremely depressed after the death of her husband. Eventually, she overcomes her depression and decides to move to Pakistan to reconnect with the past left behind during Partition.
The 13 novels announced in the preliminary list include works translated into English from 11 languages. Those entries are from 12 countries across four continents – the first time a English creation has been included. Explaining the reason for choosing the work of Gitanjali Shree, the jury said, ‘Her language flow takes us surprisingly effortlessly back to the 80-year-old woman and her past’. Geetanjali Shree was born on 12 June 1957 in Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh. His early education took place in different cities of UP.
He later did his graduation from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi and MA in History from Jawaharlal Nehru University. He did research on Premchand from Maharaja Sayaji Rao University, Vadodara and the colonial educated class of North India. After teaching at Jamia Millia Islamia for a few days, he did post-doctoral research at the Center for Social Studies, Surat, and while there he began to create literature.
His story Belpatra was published in 1987 in Hans. After that two more of his stories were published in Hans and after that the series went on. His works include ‘My’, ‘Our city that year’, ‘Tirohit’, ‘Blank space’, ‘Sand-samadhi’ (novel), ‘Anugoonj’, ‘Viragya’, ‘March, Mother and Sakura’, ‘Here’. Elephant Lived’ Story Collection.
The English translation of Gitanjali Shree’s novel ‘My’ was nominated for the ‘Crossword Award’ and was among the last four books in the race for the award. His work ‘The Empty Space’ has been translated into English, French and German. English Academy gave him the literary award for 2000-2001. In 1994, he was awarded the UK Katha Samman for his short story collection Anungoon. Apart from this, she has received Indu Sharma Katha Samman, Dwijadev Samman, besides Japan Foundation, Charles Wallace Trust, Ministry of Culture, Government of India. Gitanjali Shree has carved a niche for itself in the last three and a half decades with its diverse and powerful creations.