The Booker Prize is a prestigious honor in the literary world and 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. The special thing is that for the first time a English composition has got a place in this list.
On being included in the preliminary list of writers nominated for the award, Shri said, “Writing is an award in itself. But getting recognized as a special from Booker is a wonderful bonus. There is so much gloomy around the world today, which further enhances the importance of positivity in fields like literature, it remains in my heart as a strong hope.’ Gitanjali Shree’s translated English novel Tomb of Sand is one of the 13 books shortlisted for the International Booker Prize. Titled “Reet Samadhi”, this original English novel has been translated into English by Daisy Rockwell. It is the story of an 80-year-old woman who is deeply 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.
Shree has sculpted this woman’s state of mind in a very touching and sensitive language and Daisy has put it in beautiful words in its English translation, retaining its original spirit. 13 novels have been announced in the initial list. According to the Booker Prize website, the novels are works translated into English from 11 languages of the world and represent 12 countries on four continents – including English for the first time.
The jury, explaining the reason for selecting Shree’s work, said, “The language fluency of Gitanjali Shree takes us surprisingly effortlessly to the 80-year-old woman and her past.” Gitanjali Shree was born on 12 June. It happened in 1957 in Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh. His early education took place in different cities of Uttar Pradesh. He later graduated from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi and MA in History from Jawaharlal Nehru University. did.
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 bar’, ‘Tirohit’, Empty space, Sand-samadhi, (novel), ‘Anugoonj’, Vairagya’, March, Maa and Sakura, Here elephants lived, Story collections. This is not the first time that Sri’s translated work has been appreciated on the world stage. The English translation of his novel ‘My’ was nominated for the ‘Crossword Award’ and was among the last four books running for the award. His work Blank Space has been translated into English, French and German.
Talking about the awards received by him, English Academy gave him the literary award for 2000-2001. In 1994, he was awarded the UK Katha Samman for his story collection Anungoonj. Apart from this, she has received Indu Sharma Katha Samman, Dwijdev 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. Her storytelling is crafted of symbols and images, teaching her characters to rebel and retaliate without hiding the desperation that undermines them, and this is the hallmark of her writing. The 2022 shortlist for the award will be announced at the London Book Fair on 7 April and the winner will be announced on 26 May at a ceremony in London.