Writer Geetanjali Shree's novel 'Tomb of Sand' shortlisted for Int'l Booker Prize

The book was originally published in Hindi under the name 'Ret Samadhi' which has been translated into English as 'Tomb of Sand' by Daisy Rockwell and the jury members have described it as 'fantastic and irrefutable'. It will now compete with five other books for the literary prize of 50,000 pounds. The prize money will be divided between the writer and the translator.

Lucknow:Writer Geetanjali Shree's novel 'Tomb of Sand' was 'shortlisted' for the International Booker Prize on Thursday. The book was originally published in Hindi under the name 'Ret Samadhi' which has been translated into English as 'Tomb of Sand' by Daisy Rockwell and the jury members have described it as 'fantastic and irrefutable'. It will now compete with five other books for the literary prize of 50,000 pounds. The prize money will be divided between the writer and the translator.

Writer Geetanjali said that it was a very special kind of feeling to be shortlisted for the prestigious award. “When a work attracts the unknown at a distance, it has the ability to transcend its specific cultural context and touch the universal and human aspect. This is the true support.

The work must be good, the translation must be excellent! It was a great moment for Daisy and me. Shows how rich our communication has been,” Geetanjali said.
Geetanjali further said that Booker Prize was a very special identity and she was not expecting it. “So it's a wonderful surprise to me and a recognition for our work. The 64-year-old author, who is looking forward to attending the awards ceremony in London on May 26, said it is such a wonderful endorsement that it comes from the Booker Committee and it has come again and again.

“First they put me in the long list and now in the shortlist...Of course, it takes some time to assimilate it. Besides Geetanjali's book, Bora Chung's 'Cursed Bunny' is also among the other five selected books announced at the London Book Fair.

'Cursed Bunny' has been translated from Korea by Anton Hur. Apart from this, 'A New Name: Septology V1-V11' written by John Fosse, which has been translated from the Norwegian language into English by Damien Sears is also on the list. Also on the list is Miko Kawakami's book 'Heaven', which has been translated jointly by Japanese Samuel Bate and David Boyd, while Claudia Pinero's 'Elena Knows' is translated from Spanish by Francis Riddle and Olga Tokarczuk's book 'The Books of Jacob' has been translated from Polish by Jennifer Croft.