The Kalinga Literary Festival recently announced the longlisted titles in English and Hindi for its annual KLF Book Awards, celebrating outstanding literary works across diverse genres, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, children’s literature, business, translations, and debut works. The longlist is a testament to Kalinga Literary Festival’s mission of honoring the best in contemporary literature. The shortlist will be revealed on 30 January 2025 and the winners will be announced on 15 February 2025 at IIC, New Delhi in a ceremony. Additionally, the longlisted titles in Odia will be announced in the first week of February.
KLF Book Awards will be conferred in 6 Hindi categories, 7 English categories with the award winner getting Rs 1 lakh in each category. The KLF Book Awards will be held on 15 February 2025 at IIC, New Delhi.
This year’s longlist English includes notable works such as Vikas Swarup’s The Girl with the Seven Lives Upamanyu Chatterjee’s book Lorenzo Searches for the Meaning of Life, Dr. Vikram Sampath’s Tipu Sultan: The Saga of Mysore’s Interregnum (1760-1799), Manu S Pillai’s Gods, Guns, and Missionaries: The Making of the Modern Hindu Identity, Somnath Batabyal’s Red River, Tania James’s Loot, Dilip Sinha’s Imperial Games in Tibet, Tridip Suhrud’s The Dairy of Manu Gandhi (1946-1948), Smarak Swain’s Digital Fortunes: A Value Investor’s Guide to the New Economy, Ravi Chaudhry’s Capitalism to Peopleism and others. These selections exemplify the rich tapestry of narratives that the KLF Book Awards aim to honor. The KLF Book Awards are not just accolades but a celebration of the enduring power of literature to connect, inspire, and transform.
This year’s longlist Hindi includes notable works such as writers Anant Vijay’s Over The Top: OTT ka Mayajaal,Vimal Chandra Pandey’s Dasasmedh, Garima Srivastava’s Hindi Navjagran : Itihas, Galp Aur Stree-Prashn, Neelesh Misra’s Gaanv Se Bees Postcard, Kabeer Sanjay’s Godavan : More Angana Ki Son Chiraiya, Yatish Kumar’s Borsi Bhar Aanch | Ateet Ka Sair-been, Manisha Kulsherstha’s Vanya. Prabhat Ranjan’s Kissagram, Bhagwandas Morwal’s Kans, Sarvesh Tiwari’s Shreemukh Poornahuti, Devi Prasad Mishra’s Koi Hai Jo are among the titles selected for the longlist of the KLF Book Awards (Hindi).
Rashmi Ranjan Parida, founder and director of Kalinga Literary Festival, shared, “The KLF Book Awards’ vision is to strengthen the power of literature to shape the future. With each longlist, we aim to spotlight works that pave the way for transformative ideas and dialogues, setting the stage for a more thoughtful and connected world.”
Ashok Kumar Bal, CEO of KLF, remarked, “Our mission with the KLF Book Awards is to provide a credible platform for recognizing exceptional literary talent, bridging gaps between languages and cultures, and nurturing a deeper appreciation for the written word among readers and writers alike.”
This event will honor 15 outstanding books across English, Hindi, and Sanskrit languages, celebrating literary excellence and promoting India’s rich cultural heritage. Additionally, 4 exceptional books in the Odia language will be recognized during the annual Kalinga Literary Festival in Bhubaneswar from 21-23 March 2025.
This year, KLF received an overwhelming response from publishers, writers, and readers, with over 2000 nominations submitted for the awards.
