The New India Foundation announced an annual Book Prize titled ‘Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize’ for the best non-fiction book on modern/contemporary India in 2018. There is no limitation as to the genre — the book can be a work of history, biography, political commentary, travel, memoir, etc. This prize is named after Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, the great patriot, and institution-builder who had contributed significantly to the freedom struggle, to the women’s movement, to refugee rehabilitation and to the renewal of handicrafts.
There are no restrictions with regards to the writer’s nationality either. Works written originally in English or translated into English are eligible. Nominations are invited for the books published in the calendar year 2019 for the inaugural prize (of INR 15 lakhs), which will be awarded at an award ceremony in Bengaluru in October 2020.
The Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay Book Prize builds on the New India Foundation’s mission of sponsoring high-quality research and writing on the world’s largest democracy. The jury for the NIF Prize will be the same as that which awards the NIF Fellowships.
The first winner of the Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize was announced on 27th October 2018 at the Bangalore Literature Festival. Dr. Milan Vaishnav received the prize of Rs. 15 lakhs from the eminent literary historian Shri Velcheru Narayana Rao. Read more here.
The second winner of the Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize was announced at the Bangalore Literature Festival. Dr. Ornit Shani received the prize of Rs.15 lakhs from Ms. Niraja Gopal Jayal and Ms. Rohini Nilekani. Read more here.