Urdu writer Khalid Jawed has been awarded the prestigious JCB Prize for Literature. This win is historic since it is the first time an Urdu novel in translation has been recognised for this award.
The book, The Paradise of Food was published initially in Urdu under the title, Ne’mat Khana in 2014. Baran Farooqi has been the translator for the book.
The Paradise of Food was shortlisted along with translated works of fiction which has been unprecedented in the five-year history of the JCB Prize for Literature. Translated Hindi and Nepali fiction featured on the shortlist for the first time while translated Bengali and Malyali literature had been featured before. The shortlist included Geetanjali Shree’s Tomb of Sand, Chuden Kamibo’s Song of the Soil, Manoranjan Byapari’s Imaan and Sheela Tomy’s Valli.
Khalid Jawed’s ‘The Paradise of Food’ wins the JCB Prize for Literature 2022
On receiving the 2022 JCB Prize for Literature, Jawed said, “We look for happiness every single day and in different corners of our world. But it is today that I have felt the true happiness. I wrote this novel in 2014 and it is today that it has been recognised.” Jawed also mentioned Baran Farooqi saying, “Because of my translator, it has been transported into another language and world. Now it has gotten international recognition.” Jawed also expressed hope that Urdu, a language that is not as popular in India would receive an impetus after the win.
The book covers the expanse of some fifty years and centres around a protagonist from a middle-class Muslim family who navigates his turbulent relationship with his inner and outer worlds. The novel has particularly resonated with audiences.
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