The Kerala Literature Festival (KLF) has unveiled the shortlist for its prestigious Book of the Year Awards, celebrating exemplary contributions to literature in both fiction and non-fiction categories. The awards, which honor outstanding works from the past year, are a testament to the festival’s commitment to fostering literary excellence.
The shortlist for the KLF Book of the Year Awards features a diverse selection of titles, reflecting a wide range of languages, genres, and themes. In the fiction category, notable contenders include The Day the Earth Bloomed by Manoj Kuroor, The Distaste of the Earth by Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih, Lorenzo Searches for the Meaning of Life by Upamanyu Chatterjee, Sanatan by Sharankumar Limbale, Sakina’s Kiss by Vivek Shanbhag, and Chronicle of an Hour and a Half by Saharu Nusaiba Kannanari. Meanwhile, the non-fiction category showcases works such as Dalithan – An Autobiography by K.K. Kochu, The Identity Project by Rahul Bhatia, The Many Lives of Syeda X by Neha Dixit, City On Fire by Zeyad Masroor Khan, I Am What I Am by Sunitha Krishnan, and Circle of Freedom by T.C.A. Raghavan.
An esteemed panel of literary experts has been entrusted with selecting the winners. The fiction jury comprises Jeet Thayil, Jerry Pinto, and Mridula Koshy, while the non-fiction category is judged by Meena Kandasamy, Akshaya Mukul, and Satish Padmanabhan.
The much-anticipated announcement of the winners and the award ceremony will take place during the festival on January 25. Each winner will receive a cash prize of ₹2 lakhs, along with a certificate and memento, marking a significant milestone in their literary journey.