Banaras Lit Fest Book Awards 2026: Shortlist Announcement Varanasi, 17 January 2026

Banaras Lit Fest is pleased to announce the Shortlist for the 2nd Banaras Lit Fest Book
Awards 2026, recognising outstanding literary works in English and Hindi across the
categories of Fiction, Poetry, Non-Fiction, and Translation.

The shortlisted titles reflect the diversity, intellectual depth, and creative vitality of
contemporary Indian literature. These works engage deeply with questions of language,
society, history, memory, and lived experience, reaffirming literature's enduring relevance.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Ruskin Bond Award for Fiction (Shortlist - 5)
• The World With Its Mouth Open - Zahid Rafiq
• Muses Over Mumbai - Murzban S. Shroff
• Our Friends in Good Houses - Rahul Pandita
• The Elsewgerians: A Documentary - Jeet Thayil
• Eden Abandoned: The Story of Lillith - Shinie Antony
Sarojini Naidu Award for Poetry (Shortlist - 5)
• Freerain - Easterine Kire
• The Gallery of Upside Down Women - Arundhati Subramaniam
• Tomorrow Someone Will Arrest You - Meena Kandasamy
• So That You Know - Mani Rao
• The Hanuman Chalisa - Abhay K
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Award for Non-Fiction (Shortlist - 5)
• Father Tongue, Motherland - Peggy Mohan
• Learning from Silence - Pico Iyer
• Story of an Unknown Indian - Neha Dixit
• Shattered Lands - Sam Dalrymple
• Believer's Dilemma - Abhishek Choudhary
Rabindranath Tagore Award for Translation (Shortlist - 5)
• Limited / Unlimited - Sankar | Translated by Arunava Sinha
• This Place of Mud and Bone - Sanjay Bista | Translated by Anurag Basnet
• The Dead Fish - Rajkamal Choudhary | Translated by Mahua Sen
• The Owl, the River, the Valley - Arupa Patangia Kalita | Translated by Mitra Phukan
• Lootaloot - Baburao Bagul | Translated by Manav Kambli

Speaking on the announcement, Deepak Madhok, President, Banaras Lit Fest, said:
'The Banaras Lit Fest Book Awards honour literary excellence that speaks honestly and
thoughtfully to its time. This shortlist brings together some of the most compelling voices
writing in English and reflects the moral and imaginative strength of contemporary
literature.'

Brijesh Singh, Co-Founder and Secretary, Banaras Lit Fest, added:
'These awards are envisioned as a credible and inclusive platform for writers and translators across languages. The English-language shortlist demonstrates the range and seriousness of current literary engagement in India.'

The winners of the Banaras Lit Fest Book Awards 2026 will be announced on 21 January
2026.