LAHORE: The Dhahan Prize for Punjabi Literature has announced its 11th annual winner of a $25,000 CAD award. Jinder from Jalandhar, India, won the award for his short story collection, ‘Safety Kit.’

Alongside him, Shahzad Aslam from Pakistan and Surinder Neer from Jammu and Kashmir were awarded $10,000 CAD each as two finalists. Aslam was recognised for his short story collection, ‘Jungle Rakhey Jag De,’ and Surinder Neer for her short story collection, ‘Taboo.’

‘Safety Kit’ and ‘Taboo’ were written in the Gurmukhi script while ‘Jungle Rakhey Jag De’ was written in the Shahmukhi script. An additional $6,000 CAD was awarded for transliteration of the three books into Gurmukhi or Shahmukhi, says a statement issued by the award committee.

“I cannot express in words the joy of winning this prestigious award,” said Jinder. “I never dreamt that I would receive it in Canada. Now I feel a greater responsibility towards my writings.”

The awardees were presented with their awards, along with a hand-crafted trophy, during the ceremonies held Nov 14, 2024, at Northview Golf and Country Club in Surrey, British Columbia.

Shahzad Aslam, who could not attend the award ceremony in Canada, said, “To be acknowledged as a writer through a prestigious award is to know that the journey is worth traveling. My passion for writing has now turned into euphoria.”

Surinder Neer noted, “I was so thrilled to be a finalist of the Dhahan Prize that I got goosebumps. It’s a big honour for me. It also recognises the entire literature of Jammu and Kashmir at the global level.”

Zubair Ahmad, chair of the Dhahan Prize Advisory Board, said: “The shortlisted books encompass current issues relating to Punjabis in several countries. Themes include the environment, women’s empowerment, caste, human relationships between males and females, Punjabi diaspora and more. The authors have demonstrated excellent command of storytelling. We also feel we have good candidates for English translation.”

Barj S. Dhahan announced the newly-formed, $200,000 Dhahan Luminaries Award (including $50,000 matched by the University of British Columbia). The funds will be distributed to a minimum of 42 Master’s students studying Punjabi at five partner universities around the world over the next six years.

Since its launch in 2013 by the Canada India Education Society (CIES) and the University of British Columbia (UBC), the Dhahan Prize has garnered critical acclaim and significant exposure for aspiring and established writers, setting the stage for their books to reach broader, multilingual audiences.

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2024