Indra Sinha wins regional Commonwealth Writers’ Prize

Man Booker Prize shortlisted novel takes ‘Best Book Award’

13 March 2008

Animal’s People by Indra Sinha, shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2007, took the ‘Best Book Award’ for the Europe and Asia region at this year’s Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. The Europe and Asia regional ‘Best First Book’ prize went to A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam. Both winners will now go forward to contest the overall prizes with regional winners from throughout the Commonwealth.

Chair of Judges, Professor Makarand Paranjape, commented:

”The competition for the best book was stiff, but Animal’s People by Indra Sinha won out in the end for its fiercely original, zesty style, coupled with seriousness of theme and intent.”

Upon winning his award, Indra Sinha, commented:

“It’s a great honour. I am delighted for Animal and his friends”.

Indra Sinha and Tahmina Anamare are now invited to take part in a week-long programme of readings, community activities and other public events alongside the final pan-Commonwealth judging, in South Africa in May 2008. They join other regional winners from Africa, Canada and the Caribbean, and South East Asia and South Pacific.

The week’s programme will culminate in the announcement of the overall Best Book and Best First Book winners in a special ceremony as part of the 2008 Franschhoek Literary Festival, in the Cape Winelands District, on Sunday 18 May. The winner of the Best Book prize will receive £10,000 and the winner of the Best First Book £5,000.

Fellow nominees for the Man Booker Prize 2007 Mohsin Hamid and Catherine O’Flynn, were also shortlisted for categories in the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize in the Regional Shortlists. Mohsin Hamid was shortlisted for the Best Book Award with his novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist, shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2007.

Catherine O’Flynn was shortlisted for the Best First Book Award with her debut novel What Was Lost, which was longlisted for the Man Booker Prizes in 2007, and which recently picked up the Costa First Novel Award.

The Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, now in its 22nd year, is organised by the Commonwealth Foundation is judged by an international judging panel which is made up this year of Professor Makarand Paranjape (India), Professor Neloufer de Mel (Sri Lanka) and Donna Daley-Clarke (UK)

The winner of the Best Book Prize in 2007 was New Zealand writer Lloyd Jones for Mister Pip which was also shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2007.

The Man Booker Prize Fiction at its finest