Recognising the works of women writers

The city of Bhopal will be witnessing its first literature festival during the month of January 2019. To be held from January 12 –14, it will have three parallel sessions for three days in which more than 60 well-known authors will participate. Alongside the fest, there will be an announcement of 'Sushila Devi Award for Best Book of Fiction Written by a Woman Author'. This unique book award for women has been instituted by Ratanlal Foundation, Delhi.

All entries for the mentioned award should have been published in the period between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2017. The book must be an original work in English and should not be self-published. Each award application must carry a short synopsis of the plot, describing briefly the content covered in the book. Also, the books which have only been published in the e-book format are not entitled. The last date for submission is October 15, 2018.

An entry must be a full-length work of at least 40,000 words. While short story anthologies are not eligible, collections of short stories linked by a theme may be considered at the discretion of the jury.

There are three prizes – the first prize is for Rs 2,00,000 and the two runners-up prizes are for Rs 25,000 each. The jury will announce the shortlisted books by December 15 and thereafter meet in Bhopal on January 11 to announce the winner.

Entries may be sent by publishers only, in the form of four hard copies, to the Prize Secretariat Sanjeev Gupta (Coordinator Book Award), Ratanlal Foundation, New Delhi.