In its third year, the Shakti Bhatt first-book prize carries a cash award of Rs one lakh. The prize was initiated by the Shakti Bhatt Foundation, a non-profit trust that wishes to reward first-time authors of all ages. Last year’s winner was Mridula Koshy for If It Is Sweet.
For this year, a three-member advisory board (playwright Mahesh Dattani, writer Kalpana Swaminathan, and novelist Ruchir Joshi) chose Following Fish by Samanth Subramanian from a shortlist of six books published between 1 June 2009 and 30 June 2010, which included Homeboy by HM Naqvi; House on Mall Road by Mohyna Srinivasan; Songs of Blood and Sword, A Daughter's Memoir by Fatima Bhutto; The Wish Maker by Ali Sethi, and Delhi Calm by Vishwajyoti Ghosh.
In nine essays, Following Fish conducts rich journalistic investigations: among others, of the famed fish treatment for asthmatics in Hyderabad; of the preparation and the process of eating West Bengal s prized hilsa; of the ancient art of building fishing boats in Gujarat; of the fiery cuisine and the singular spirit of Kerala s toddy shops; of the food and the lives of Mumbai s first peoples; of the history of an old Catholic fishing community in Tamil Nadu; of the hunt for the world s fastest fish near Goa. Throughout his travels, Subramanian observes the cosmopolitanism and diverse influences absorbed by India s coastal societies, the withdrawing of traditional fishermen from their craft, the corresponding growth of fishing as pure and voluminous commerce, and the degradation of waters and beaches from over-fishing. Pulsating with pleasure, adventure and discovery, and tempered by nostalgia and loss, Following Fish speaks as eloquently to the armchair traveler as to lovers of the sea and its lore.
More information about the book here.
For this year, a three-member advisory board (playwright Mahesh Dattani, writer Kalpana Swaminathan, and novelist Ruchir Joshi) chose Following Fish by Samanth Subramanian from a shortlist of six books published between 1 June 2009 and 30 June 2010, which included Homeboy by HM Naqvi; House on Mall Road by Mohyna Srinivasan; Songs of Blood and Sword, A Daughter's Memoir by Fatima Bhutto; The Wish Maker by Ali Sethi, and Delhi Calm by Vishwajyoti Ghosh.
In nine essays, Following Fish conducts rich journalistic investigations: among others, of the famed fish treatment for asthmatics in Hyderabad; of the preparation and the process of eating West Bengal s prized hilsa; of the ancient art of building fishing boats in Gujarat; of the fiery cuisine and the singular spirit of Kerala s toddy shops; of the food and the lives of Mumbai s first peoples; of the history of an old Catholic fishing community in Tamil Nadu; of the hunt for the world s fastest fish near Goa. Throughout his travels, Subramanian observes the cosmopolitanism and diverse influences absorbed by India s coastal societies, the withdrawing of traditional fishermen from their craft, the corresponding growth of fishing as pure and voluminous commerce, and the degradation of waters and beaches from over-fishing. Pulsating with pleasure, adventure and discovery, and tempered by nostalgia and loss, Following Fish speaks as eloquently to the armchair traveler as to lovers of the sea and its lore.
More information about the book here.
