Upamanyu Chatterjee's "Lorenzo Searches for the Meaning of Life" Wins the 2024 JCB Prize for Literature.
Awards
On November 23, 2024, Upamanyu Chatterjee's book "Lorenzo Searches for the Meaning of Life" won the 7th Edition JCB (Joseph Cyril Bamford Excavators Limited) Prize for Literature. The book, published by Speaking Tiger Books, follows protagonist Lorenzo Senesi's journey of self-discovery and faith.
- The award ceremony was held at JCB India's headquarters in Ballabgarh, Faridabad, where Upamanyu Chatterjee received a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh, along with a trophy titled "Mirror Melting," designed by Delhi artist duo Thukral and Tagra.
- In 2023, "Firebird" by Perumal Murugan, translated from the Malayalam by Janani Kannan, won the prestigious award.
- The award was presented on behalf of JCB Chairman, Lord Bamford, by Deepak Shetty, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD) of JCB India.
Main Points:- (i) Upamanyu Chatterjee's novel emerged as the winner from a shortlist of six books, which included Sanatan by Sharankumar Limbale, translated by Paromita Sengupta; Chronicle of an Hour and a Half by Saharu Nusaiba Kannanari, The One Legged by Sakyajit Bhattacharya, translated by Rituparna Mukherjee; and Maria, Just Maria by Sandhya Mary, translated by Jayasree Kalathil.
(ii) The jury included author-translator Jerry Pinto (Chair), art historian-curator Deepthi Sashidharan, scholar-writer-translator Tridip Suhrud, filmmaker-writer Shaunak Sen, and artist Aqui Thami.
(iii) The JCB Prize for Literature, established in 2018 by Joseph Cyril Bamford Excavators Limited (JCB), is awarded annually to celebrate Indian literature and its diverse storytelling styles. With a prize of Rs 25,00,000 (USD 30,000) and a unique sculpture, it is regarded as "India's most valuable literature prize."
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