The Crossword Book Award (in full: Crossword Book Award (1998–2003), Hutch Crossword Book Award (2004–07), Vodafone Crossword Book Award (2008–10), Economist Crossword Book Award (2011–13), Raymond & Crossword Book Award (2014–present)) is an Indian book award hosted by Crossword Bookstores and their sponsors. The Award was instituted in 1998 by Indian book retailer Crossword with the intention of competing with The Booker Prize, Commonwealth Writers' Prize or The Pulitzer Prize.
While several Indian writers have won awards abroad, we had observed that there was no equivalent award in India. We therefore decided to take on the role of encouraging and promoting good Indian writing and instituted the Book Awards, in 1998. It is the only Indian award that not only recognizes and rewards good writing but also actively promotes the authors and their books.
Nominations are on the basis of sales as tracked by Crossword, and the eventual winners are chosen based on a public poll that's partly online and partly real world (voting at Crossword outlets). The awards consist of a cash prize of ₹300,000 (), or about US$5,000, awarded in each of four categories.
The award was initially for a single work of fiction by an Indian citizen. In 2000, an additional prize was offered for an Indian writing in any Indian language translated into English. There was no award between 2001–03. Starting in 2004 the award was sponsored by Hutch Essar an Indian telecommunications company and called the Hutch Crossword Book Award. Starting in 2006 additional categories of a nonfiction prize and a popular award, voted on by the public, were added. Starting in 2008, Hutch Essar was purchased by English telecommunications company Vodafone Group and the award was called Vodafone Crossword Book Award. Beginning in 2011 through 2013, it was sponsored by The Economist in association with Principal Mutual Funds and Standard Chartered, and renamed the Economist Crossword Book Award. Beginning in 2014, it was sponsored by Raymond Group.
Previous winners.
English Fiction: The Everest Hotel by I. Allan Sealy
English Fiction: An Equal Music by Vikram Seth
Indian Language Fiction Translation: On the Banks of the Mayyazhi by M. Mukundan
English Fiction: The Mandala of Sherlock Holmes by Jamyang Norbu
Indian Language Fiction Translation: Karukku by Bama / translator Lakshmi Holmström
English Fiction: The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh
Indian Language Fiction Translation: Astride the Wheel (Yantrarudha) by Chandrasekhar Rath translated by Jatindra Kumar Nayak
Awarded in 2006 for books published in 2005. Last year known as the Hutch Crossword Book Award. Inaugural year of Non Fiction and Popular Award categories.
English Fiction: Shalimar the Clown by Salman Rushdie
English Non Fiction: Maximum City: Bombay Lost & Found by Suketu Mehta
Indian Language Fiction Translation: The Heart Has Its Reasons by Krishna Sobti
Popular Award: Pundits From Pakistan by Rahul Bhattacharya
Awarded in 2007 for books published in 2006. Name change to Vodafone Crossword Book Award.
English Fiction: Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra
English Non Fiction: Two Lives by Vikram Seth
Indian Language Fiction Translation: In a forest, a deer by C. S. Lakshmi (Ambai) / translator Lakshmi Holmström
Indian Language Fiction Translation: Kesavan's Lamentations by M. Mukundan
Popular Award: The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
Awarded in 2008 for books published in 2007.
English Fiction: A Girl and a River by Usha K. R.
English Non Fiction: The Last Mughal by William Dalrymple
Indian Language Fiction Translation: Chowringhee by Sankar / translator Arunava Sinha
Indian Language Fiction Translation: Govardhan's Travels by Anand (C. P. Sachidanandan) / translator Gita Krishnankutty
Popular Award: The Music Room by Namita Devidayal
Awarded in 2009 for books published in 2008.
English Fiction: Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
English Fiction: Past Continuous by Neel Mukherjee
English Non Fiction: Curfewed Night by Basharat Peer
Indian Language Fiction Translation: T’TA Professor by Manohar Shyam Joshi / translator Ira Pande
Popular Award: Smoke & Mirrors by Pallavi Aiyar
Awarded in 2010 for books published in 2009. Inaugural year of Children's category.
English Fiction: Venus Crossing: Twelve Stories of Transit by Kalpana Swaminathan
English Non Fiction: Bazaars, Conversations and Freedom by Rajni Bakshi
English Non Fiction: Looking East to Look West: Lee Kuan Yew's Mission India by Sunanda K. Datta-Ray (about Lee Kuan Yew)
Indian Language Fiction Translation: Othappu: The Scent of the Other Side by Sarah Joseph / translator Valson Thampu
Popular Award: Bazaars, Conversations and Freedom by Rajni Bakshi
Children's Literature: The Grasshopper's Run by Siddhartha Sarma
Awarded in 2011 for books published in 2010. The longlist was announced in May, the shortlist in July and the winners on September 2, 2011.
English Fiction: Jimmy the Terrorist, Omair Ahmad
English Fiction: Saraswati Park, Anjali Joseph
English Non Fiction: The Tell-Tale Brain, VS Ramachandran
Indian Language Fiction Translation: Litanies of Dutch Battery, NS Madhavan / translated by Rajesh Rajamohan
Popular Award: Chanakya's Chant, Ashwin Sanghi
Children's Literature: Faces in the Water, Ranjit Lal
Awarded in 2012 for books published in 2011. The longlist was announced June, the shortlist was announced in September 2012. The winner was announced October 18, 2012.
English Non Fiction: The Folded Earth, Anuradha Roy
English Non Fiction: A Free Man, Aman Sethi
Indian Language Fiction Translation: 17, Anita Agnihotri / translated by Arunava Sinha (Bengali)
Indian Language Fiction Translation: The Araya Women, Narayan / translated by Catherine Thankamma (Malayalam)
Popular Award: The Incredible Banker, Ravi Subramanian
Children's Literature: (no award – "the jury felt that the none of the books in question stood out")
Award renumbered to reflect the year of the award ceremony, previously it was the year the books were published.
Awarded in 2013 for books published between January 1, 2012 and March 31, 2013. The longlist was announced in June. The shortlist was announced in November. The winner was announced December 6, 2013 at the Times Literary Carnival.
English Fiction: Jerry Pinto, Em and The Big Hoom
English Fiction: Janice Pariat, Boats on Land
English Nonfiction: Ananya Vajpeyi, Righteous Republic
English Nonfiction: Pankaj Mishra, From The Ruins Of Empire
Indian Language Translation: Ismat Chugtai, A Life In Words translated by M Asaduddin
Popular Award: Ravi Subramanian, The Bankster
Children's Literature: Payal Kapadia, Wisha Wozzariter
Children's Literature: Uma Krishnaswami, Book Uncle and Me
The 2015 shortlists were announced in April 2015. The winners were announced April 29, 2015.
Indian Fiction: The Blind Lady’s Descendants, Anees Salim
Indian Non-Fiction: This Divided Island: Stories from the Sri Lankan War, Samanth Subramanian
Indian Language Translation: Children, Women, Men, Sundara Ramaswamy, Translated by Lakshmi Holmstrom
Popular Award: Bankerupt, Ravi Subramanian
Kotak Junior Children writing award: Timmi in Tangles, Shals Mahajan Duckbill
The winners were announced 29 November 2016.
