The longlist for Banaras Lit Fest Book Awards 2025 has been revealed and the awards will be given in categories like fiction, non-fiction, poetry and translations. The awards will honour both authors and translators for their outstanding contributions to the literary world, showcasing the vibrancy and diversity of contemporary Indian writing.
Besides English, the awards are also being given to Hindi language books. The literature festival will be held in Varanasi between March 7 and March 9.
The longlist features a collection of literary works, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and translations in categories, including the Rabindranath Tagore Award for Translation, Sarvepalli and Radhakrishnan Award for Non-Fiction, and Ruskin Bond Award for Fiction.
Deepak Madhok, the President of the Banaras Lit Fest, said he is proud to present the longlist for the Banaras Lit Fest Book Awards 2025, celebrating the diversity of Indian literature across languages. "These works embody the spirit
of storytelling, translation, and cultural exchange that define our festival."
The shortlist for the Banaras Lit Fest Book Awards 2025 will be announced on February 9. The longlist books in each category are:
Rabindranath Tagore Award for Translation
1. Fire Bird - Perumal Murugan (Translated from Tamil by Janani Kannan, Penguin)
2. The Keeper of Desolation: Stories - Chandan Pandey (Translated from Hindi by Sayari Debnath, HarperCollins)
3. I Named My Sister Silence - Manoj Rupda (Translated from Hindi by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar, Eka, Westland Books)
4. Sakina’s Kiss - Vivek Shanbhag (Translated from Kannada by Srinath Perur, Penguin)
5. Sawaneh-i-Delhi: Biography of Delhi - Mirza Ahmad Akhtar Gorgani (Translated from Urdu by Ather Farouqui, Roli Books)
6. Boy, Unloved - Damodar Mauzo (Translated from Konkani by Jerry Pinto, Speaking Tiger)
7. The Homeland’s an Ocean - Mir Taqi Mir (Translated from Urdu by Ranjit Hoskote, Penguin)
8. The Yellow Sparrow: Memoir of a Transgender Woman - Santa Khurai (Translated from Manipuri by Rubani Yumkhaibam, Speaking Tiger)
9. The Nemesis - Manoranjan Byapari (Translated from Bengali by V. Ramaswamy, Eka, Westland)
10. How to Love in Sanskrit - Translated by Anusha Rao and Suhas Mahesh, HarperCollins
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Award for Non-Fiction
1. Tripping Down the Ganga: A Son’s Exploration of Faith - Siddharth Kapila, Speaking Tiger
2. Fire on the Ganges: Life Among Dead in Banaras - Radhika Iyengar, Fourth Estate (HarperCollins)
3. How Prime Ministers Decide - Neerja Chowdhury, Aleph
4. Gilded Cage: Years that Made and Unmade Kashmir - Sandeep Bamzai, Rupa
5. Bharat Rising: Dharma, Democracy and Diplomacy - Utpal Kumar, BlueOne Ink
6. The Day I Became a Runner - Sohini Chattopadhyay, Fourth Estate (HarperCollins)
7. The Jannayak Karpoori Thakur: Voice of the Voiceless - Santosh Singh & Aditya Anmol, Penguin
8. Iru: The Remarkable Life of Irawati Karve - Urmilla Deshpande & Thiago Pinto Barbosa, Speaking Tiger
9. Tipu Sultan: The Saga of Mysore’s Interregnum (1760-1799) - Vikram Sampath, Vintage Books
10. The Notbook of Kabir: Thinner than water fiercer than fire - Anand, Penguin Viking
Sarojini Naidu Award for Poetry
1. Mandalas of Time - Malashri Lal, Hawakal Publishers
2. To the Moon and Back: Life, Love and Everything In-between - Maria Goretti, Om Book International
3. Nostalgia: Crafting a Home Within - Mahua Sen, Red River
4. White Shirts of Summer: New and Selected Poems - Mamang Dai, Speaking Tiger
5. My Body Didn’t Come Before Me: Poems - Kuhu Joshi, Speaking Tiger
6. The Last Time I Saw You - Akhil Katyal, HarperCollins
7. I'll Have It Here: Poems - Jeet Thayil, HarperCollins
8. Sweet Malida: Memories of a Bene Israel Woman - Zilka Joseph, Mayapple Press
9. Yellow - Sukrita Paul Kumar, Sahitya Akademi
10. Eartha - Vinita Agrawal, Sahitya Akademi
Ruskin Bond Award for Fiction
1. The Patient in Bed Number 12 - Raj Kamal Jha, Penguin
2. Like Being Alive Twice - Dharini Bhaskar, Penguin
3. Aunties of Vasant Kunj - Anuradha Marwah, Rupa
4. Deccan Queen: Take Two - Farrukh Dhondy, Om Book International
5. Autumn Blossoms - Gajra Kottary, Om Book International
6. Wayel Kati: The Quest of the Seven Guardians - Linthoi Chanu, Niyogi Books
7. The New New Delhi Book Club - Radhika Swarup, Westland/Pratilipi
8. The Forgotten Wife: The Story of Hidimbi and Bhim - Madhavi Mahadevan, Speaking Tiger
9. Never Never Land - Namita Gokhale, Speaking Tiger
10. The Woman Who Climbed Trees - Smriti Ravindra, HarperCollins
Kabir Award for Poetry (Hindi)
1. Kuch Bhi Vaisa Nahi - Uma Shankar Chaudhary, Radha Krishna Prakashan
2. Aatmadroh - R. Chetankranti, Rajkamal Prakashan
3. Stree Mugal - Pawan Karan, Rajkamal Prakashan
4. Phir Ugna - Parvati Tirkey, Radha Krishna Prakashan
5. Mulakatein - Alok Dhanwa, Rajkamal Prakashan
6. Kaal Mrig Ki Peeth Par - Jitendra Shrivastava, Vani Prakashan
7. Neeli Bayaz - Adnan Kafil Darvesh, Rajkamal Prakashan
8. Waqt Zarurat - Avinash Mishra, Rajkamal Prakashan
9. Morche Par Vidageet - Vihag Vaibhav, Rajkamal Prakashan
10. Bhasha Mein Nahi - Sapna Bhatt, Setu Prakashan
Mahadevi Verma Award for Translation (Hindi)
1. Baraf Mahal - Tharayai Vesos (Anuvad: Neelakshi Singh), Setu Prakashan
2. Azaadi - Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (Anuvad: Naved Akbar), Harper Hindi
3. Chaku - Salman Rushdie (Anuvad: Manjeet Thakur), Penguin Hindi
4. Krishna Ki Leela Bhoomi 21vi Sadi Mein Vrindavan - John Stratton Hawley (Anuvad: Ashok Kumar), Rajkamal Prakashan
5. Naye Bharat Mein Deemak Lagi Shahtirein - Parakala Prabhakar (Anuvad: Vyalok Pathak)
6. Satrangi Dastarkhwan - Sumana Roy aur Kunal Ray (Anuvad: Vandana Raag va Geet Chaturvedi), Rajkamal Prakashan
7. Great Kanchana Circus - Vishwas Patil (Anuvad: Ravi Bule), Vani Prakashan
8. Fakira - Anna Bhau Sathe (Anuvad: Usha Vairagkar Athale), Setu Prakashan
9. Maunraag - Mahesh Elkunchwar (Anuvad: Nishikant Thakar), Setu Prakashan
10. Tirthankar Jain Dharm Par 63 Vichar - Devdutt Pattanaik (Anuvad: Mihir Neelam Jajodia), Harper Hindi
Premchand Award for Fiction (Hindi)
1. Agam Bahai Dariyaav - Shivmurti, Rajkamal Prakashan
2. Agnikaal - Yugal Joshi, Penguin Hindi
3. Chiranjiv - Chandrakishor Jaiswal, Rajkamal Prakashan
4. Nishesh - Madhur Kapila, Penguin Hindi
5. Hamnavaai Na Thi - Tasneem Khan, Setu Prakashan
6. Bail Ki Aankh - Santosh Dixit, Setu Prakashan
7. Auschwitz: Ek Prem Katha - Garima Shrivastava, Vani Prakashan
8. Chakka Jaam - Gautam Chaubey, Radhakrishna Prakashan
9. Trin Dhari Oat - Anamika, Vani Prakashan
10. Vipashyana - Indira Dangi, Bhartiya Jnanpith
Rahul Sankrityayan Award for Non-Fiction
1. Gai-Geka Ki Auratein - Zoram Talam Nabam, Radha Krishna Prakashan
2. Allah Naam Ki Siyasat - Hilal Ahmed, Setu Prakashan
3. Itihaas Mein Afwah - Shambhunath, Vani Prakashan
4. Guardianata - Vyomesh Shukla, Rukh Prakashan
5. Khoye Hue Logon Ka Sheher - Ashok Bhaumik, Setu Publications
6. Hindi Navjagaran: Itihaas, Galp aur Stree Prashna - Garima Shrivastava, Vani Prakashan
7. Borsi Bhar Aanch - Yatish Kumar, Radha Krishna Prakashan
8. Mithkon Se Vigyan Tak - Gauhar Raza, Penguin Prakashan
9. Shehar Jo Kho Gaya - Vijay Kumar, Setu Prakashan
10. Akk Mahadevi - Subhash Rai, Setu Prakashan