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 SealyEnglish Fiction: An Equal Music by Vikram SethIndian Language Fiction Translation: On the Banks of the Mayyazhi by M. MukundanEnglish Fiction: The Mandala of Sherlock Holmes by Jamyang NorbuIndian Language Fiction Translation: Karukku by Bama / translator Lakshmi HolmströmEnglish Fiction: The Hungry Tide by Amitav GhoshIndian Language Fiction Translation: Astride the Wheel (Yantrarudha) by Chandrasekhar Rath translated by Jatindra Kumar NayakAwarded 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 RushdieEnglish Non Fiction: Maximum City: Bombay Lost & Found by Suketu MehtaIndian Language Fiction Translation: The Heart Has Its Reasons by Krishna SobtiPopular Award: Pundits From Pakistan by Rahul BhattacharyaAwarded in 2007 for books published in 2006. Name change to Vodafone Crossword Book Award.
English Fiction: Sacred Games by Vikram ChandraEnglish Non Fiction: Two Lives by Vikram SethIndian Language Fiction Translation: In a forest, a deer by C. S. Lakshmi (Ambai) / translator Lakshmi HolmströmIndian Language Fiction Translation: Kesavan's Lamentations by M. MukundanPopular Award: The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran DesaiAwarded 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 DalrympleIndian Language Fiction Translation: Chowringhee by Sankar / translator Arunava SinhaIndian Language Fiction Translation: Govardhan's Travels by Anand (C. P. Sachidanandan) / translator Gita KrishnankuttyPopular Award: The Music Room by Namita DevidayalAwarded in 2009 for books published in 2008.
English Fiction: Sea of Poppies by Amitav GhoshEnglish Fiction: Past Continuous by Neel MukherjeeEnglish Non Fiction: Curfewed Night by Basharat PeerIndian Language Fiction Translation: T’TA Professor by Manohar Shyam Joshi / translator Ira PandePopular Award: Smoke & Mirrors by Pallavi AiyarAwarded in 2010 for books published in 2009. Inaugural year of Children's category.
English Fiction: Venus Crossing: Twelve Stories of Transit by Kalpana SwaminathanEnglish Non Fiction: Bazaars, Conversations and Freedom by Rajni BakshiEnglish 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 ThampuPopular Award: Bazaars, Conversations and Freedom by Rajni BakshiChildren's Literature: The Grasshopper's Run by Siddhartha SarmaAwarded 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 AhmadEnglish Fiction: Saraswati Park, Anjali JosephEnglish Non Fiction: The Tell-Tale Brain, VS RamachandranIndian Language Fiction Translation: Litanies of Dutch Battery, NS Madhavan / translated by Rajesh RajamohanPopular Award: Chanakya's Chant, Ashwin SanghiChildren's Literature: Faces in the Water, Ranjit LalAwarded 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 RoyEnglish Non Fiction: A Free Man, Aman SethiIndian 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 SubramanianChildren'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 HoomEnglish Fiction: Janice Pariat, Boats on LandEnglish Nonfiction: Ananya Vajpeyi, Righteous RepublicEnglish Nonfiction: Pankaj Mishra, From The Ruins Of EmpireIndian Language Translation: Ismat Chugtai, A Life In Words translated by M AsaduddinPopular Award: Ravi Subramanian, The BanksterChildren's Literature: Payal Kapadia, Wisha WozzariterChildren's Literature: Uma Krishnaswami, Book Uncle and MeThe 2015 shortlists were announced in April 2015. The winners were announced April 29, 2015.
Indian Fiction: The Blind Lady’s Descendants, Anees SalimIndian Non-Fiction: This Divided Island: Stories from the Sri Lankan War, Samanth SubramanianIndian Language Translation: Children, Women, Men, Sundara Ramaswamy, Translated by Lakshmi HolmstromPopular Award: Bankerupt, Ravi SubramanianKotak Junior Children writing award: Timmi in Tangles, Shals Mahajan DuckbillThe winners were announced 29 November 2016.
