In Search of Greener Pastures

PERUMAL MURUGAN'S AGRARIAN PERIOD NOVEL, FIRE BIRD, HAS WON THE 2023 JCB PRIZE FOR LITERATURE

- Perumal Murugan

FIRE BIRD  PENGUIN ₹499; 304 pages

The 2023 JCB Prize for Literature was awarded to Perumal Murugan's Aalandapatchi, translated into English as Fire Bird by Janani Kannan. The prize money of Rs 25 lakh will be split between author and translator. Murugan had previously been shortlisted in 2018 (for the novel Poonachi, translated by N. Kalyan Raman) and 2019 (for the novels A Lonely Harvest and Trial by Silence, both translated by Aniruddhan Vasudevan). While Murugan was not present in New Delhi for the award ceremony, he sent a video address acknowledging the recognition.