Since each Murugan and Kannan have been unable to attend the literary occasion within the nationwide capital, the coveted trophy was awarded by Deepak Shetty- CEO and Managing Director, JCB India Limited on behalf of Lord Bamford, to Sundaram Kannan, and Manasi Subramaniam, the Tamil writer and the Editor of the English translation, respectively. The trophy titled ‘Mirror Melting’ is a sculpture by Delhi artist duo, Thukral and Tagra.
Originally written in Tamil as ‘Aalanda Patchi’, ‘Fire Bird’ is a thought-provoking and profound exploration of the innate human need for stability in a world that’s ever-changing. Talking concerning the ebook and commenting on profitable the award, Murugan mentioned in a video message which was performed on the occasion, “Vanakkam. Humans have been migrating for a very long time in the hunt for meals. It has all the time been the need of the human being to dwell in a single place. Almost all dwelling beings would have nurtured such need. Which life would love a relentless wandering? Today, human beings largely dwell a relentless life. Yet migration will not be over. Many causes reminiscent of pure modifications, politics, energy, struggle, work, and household result in migration. To transfer away from one place is struggling; additionally it is struggling emigrate to another place and dwell there. Compulsions of life result in such struggling.
“‘Aalanda Patchi’ was concerning the pressured migration of an agrarian household that occurred six a long time in the past. The tragedy of being alienated from one’s native place, land and household; (and transfer to a) new city, new landscapes, new folks, new surroundings. They have to simply accept it and make it fixed. I wrote the novel pushed by a need to write down concerning the functionality of a household to deal with each challenges. I’ve heard many migration tales of my ancestors. In my youth, I skilled firsthand the migration of our household away from the land the place we’ve lived for generations. I’ve additionally been conscious of many tales of migration of the households of my family members. The characters of Muthu, Perumayi, and Kuppan have been drawn from the essence of such tales. The struggling of migration and the expertise of travels from this novel. This will not be merely the story of my ancestors. This does not merely present the lifetime of a household or my family. I consider the novel will emotionally join with each person displaced, small or large. The novel may also present an expertise of understanding the agrarian life, the old instances when there weren’t as many fashionable facilities, and the household relationships that characterize feudal life. Translated into English as ‘Fire Bird’, the novel has reached a wider readership after its publication. It has additionally change into a novel appreciated by the readers.
“I really feel completely happy that everybody is associating themselves with this novel. That the novel has received the distinguished JCB Prize is a crucial recognition. I’m grateful to everybody together with my ancestors who have been the explanation behind my scripting this novel, my household which helped me in scripting this, Kalachuvadu Kannan who printed it in Tamil, Penguin which printed it in English, translator Janani Kannan, the jury of the JCB Prize and JCB institute.”
Meanwhile, translator Janani Kannan too shared her shock and gratitude in a brief video message. “This is sort of surreal of me to be recording this video. Never in my wildest goals did I feel that I can be sharing the stage with such literary expertise, not to mention win this award. This wouldn’t have been potential and not using a group of people who I’ve backing me,” she mentioned.
Perumal Murugan’s ‘Fire Bird’ was one of many 5 books that have been shortlisted for the JCB Prize for Literature 2023. Click here to know more about the other shortlisted books for 2023 JCB Prize.
‘Fire Bird’ was chosen because the winner by a jury of 5 judges, together with Srinath Perur (Jury Chair), Mahesh Dattani, Somak Ghoshal, Kavery Nambisan, and Swati Thiyagarajan.
Praising the winning-book, Srinath Perur- Jury Chair, mentioned in an announcement, “In ‘Fire Bird’ Perumal Murugan takes a universal story of lives that are tied to land and tells it with astonishing particularity. Janani Kannan’s translation carries into English the rhythms not only of Tamil but of an entire way of being in the world.”
This is the sixth 12 months of the JCB Prize for Literature. Talking concerning the award, Deepak Shetty mentioned in an announcement, “The JCB Prize for Literature was institutionalised by Lord Bamford as a symbol of the Bamford family’s commitment and affection for India. In a period of just six years, it has made a place for itself because of its unique structure, which awards and celebrates writing in Indian languages, representing different cultures.”
Meanwhile, speaking concerning the journey of the Prize, Mita Kapur- Literary Director, mentioned, “The JCB Prize continues to uphold excellence and celebrates books that make us lose ourselves in their interior worlds, variegated realities, memorable characters, books that encompass the gamut of our country in unique and incomparable ways.”
Previous winners of JCB Prize embrace: Khalid Jawed and translator Baran Farooqi for ‘The Paradise of Food’ in 2022; writer M. Mukundan and translators Fathima E.V. and Nandakumar Ok for ‘Delhi: A Soliloquy’ in 2021; S. Hareesh and translator Jayasree Kalathil for ‘Moustache’ in 2020; Madhuri Vijay for ‘The Far Field’ in 2019; and Benyamin and translator Shahnaz Habib for ‘Jasmine Days’ in 2018.
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