Crossword Book Awards Marks 20th Edition with One of Its Most Distinguished Jury Panels Yet
Crossword Book Awards Marks 20th Edition with One of Its Most Distinguished
Jury Panels Yet
Crossword Book Awards, one of India’s longest-running and most
respected literary honours, marks a landmark milestone with its 20th edition, reaffirming its
enduring commitment to celebrating the very best of Indian writing in English.
Since presenting its first award in 1998, the Crossword Book Awards have evolved into one of the
country’s most influential literary honours, expanding from a single award to ten categories that
recognise excellence across a wide range of genres. Over the decades, the Awards have honoured
more than a hundred outstanding books and celebrated five distinguished recipients with the
Lifetime Achievement Award, reflecting their enduring contribution to India’s literary and publishing
landscape.
Marking this milestone year, the Crossword Book Awards have announced their distinguished jury
for the 2026 edition. It brings together some of the country’s most accomplished voices from
literature, journalism, academia, publishing and the arts, with each member offering a distinct
perspective to the evaluation process.
The distinguished jury for the Crossword Book Awards 2026 comprises:
1. Fiction:
● Anuja Chauhan – Screenwriter and author of bestselling novels including Those Pricey
Thakur Girls and The Zoya Factor. She is known for her distinctive contribution to
contemporary Indian popular fiction.
● Manju Kapur – Acclaimed author of Difficult Daughters, winner of the Commonwealth
Writers’ Prize for Best First Book in the Eurasia region, and The Immigrant. Her latest novel is
The Gallery.
● Samit Basu – Author and filmmaker known for the bestselling novel The Simoqin Prophecies
and The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport, which was shortlisted for the Locus, Goodreads Choice and
Dragon Awards.
2. Non-Fiction:
● Anirudh Kanisetti – Historian, author and podcaster known for Lords of the Deccan:
Southern India from the Chalukyas to the Cholas and Lords of Earth and Sea: A History of the
Chola Empire.
● Jyoti Malhotra – Journalist and Editor-in-Chief of The Tribune, with a career spanning over
four decades across print, television and digital media, including leadership roles at The
Indian Express, Star News and ThePrint.
● Naresh Fernandes – Journalist, editor of Scroll, and author of Taj Mahal Foxtrot: The Story of
Bombay’s Jazz Age and City Adrift: A Short Biography of Bombay.3. Business & Management
● Monika Halan – Chairperson of SEBI Advisory Committee, financial educator and bestselling
author of Let’s Talk Money, Let’s Talk Mutual Funds and Let’s Talk Legacy. She is also the
host of the Let’s Talk Money with Monika Halan podcast.
● Rama Bijapurkar – Indian market strategist, business adviser and author of influential books
on Consumer India, including We Are Like That Only: Understanding the Logic of Consumer
India and A Never-Before World: Tracking the Evolution of Consumer India.
● Shrayana Bhattacharya – A senior economist at the World Bank and author of Desperately
Seeking Shah Rukh: India’s Lonely Young Women and the Search for Intimacy and
Independence. She has been awarded several prizes for her writing.
4. Children’s Literature
● Fiona Fernandez – Researcher, Associate Editor at Mid-day and author known for H for
Heritage: Mumbai and Bombay Meri Jaan. Through her weekly column, Bombaynama, she
explores Mumbai’s cultural and local history.
● Payal Kapadia – Writer known for the Crossword Award-winning Wisha Wozzariter and the
bestselling Horrid High series. Her latest fantasy crossover, Woebegone’s Warehouse of
Words, was featured among The Hindu’s Top 10 Reads.
● Ranjit Lal – Award-winning author of more than 50 fiction and non-fiction books for children
and adults, with a body of work spanning natural history, birds, environmental concerns and
complex social issues.
5. Translation
● Meena Kandasamy – Poet, novelist and translator whose novel When I Hit You was
shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the Jhalak Prize and The Hindu Literary Prize.
Her translation of Salma’s Women Dreaming won a PEN Translates Award!.
● Ranjit Hoskote – Poet, translator, cultural theorist and curator, known for poetry collections
including Icelight and Hunchprose. His acclaimed translations include I, Lalla: The Poems of
Lal Ded and The Homeland’s an Ocean, his translation of the work of Mir Taqi Mir.
● Srinath Perur – Author and translator known for the travelogue If It’s Monday It Must Be
Madurai and his English translations of Ghachar Ghochar, Sakina’s Kiss and This Life at Play.
Commenting on the announcement, Nidhi Gupta, Director, Crossword Bookstores, said, “The 20th
edition of the Crossword Book Awards marks a significant milestone in our journey of recognising and
celebrating Indian writing in English. Over the years, the Awards have evolved alongside India’s
vibrant literary landscape, honouring exceptional voices and stories across genres. We are privileged
to have such an accomplished and diverse jury for this landmark edition and look forward to their
thoughtful deliberations as they undertake the rigorous process of identifying the finest books of the
year. The Crossword Book Awards continue to celebrate the power of books to inspire, engage and
shape conversations, and we remain committed to championing authors who enrich India’s literary
culture.”In addition to the Jury Awards, the awards also feature the Popular Choice Awards, as in previous
years, the winners of which are determined by votes of readers from across the country. The Awards
will also present the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, honouring an individual whose
extraordinary contribution has left an enduring impact on Indian literature. Previous winners include
Shanta Gokhale, Amitav Ghosh, Sudha Murty, Shashi Tharoor, and Ruskin Bond.
Over the coming months, the Crossword Book Awards will unveil the longlists and shortlists across
categories before culminating in the much-anticipated awards ceremony at the end of the year,
where Jury Award winners, Popular Choice Award winners and the recipient of the Lifetime
Achievement Award will be honoured. As the Awards celebrate their landmark 20th edition, they
continue to reaffirm Crossword’s commitment to recognising literary excellence, celebrating diverse
voices and nurturing a lifelong love for reading. The long list and short list will be announced in the
coming months.
About the Crossword Book Awards:
Instituted in 1998, the Crossword Book Awards are among India’s longest-running and most
respected literary honours, celebrating excellence in Indian writing in English and translation. Over
the years, the Awards have championed outstanding authors, honoured exceptional books across
diverse genres, and fostered a vibrant culture of reading and literary engagement.
The 2025 winners included Ruchir Joshi, Manu S. Pillai, and Sudha Murty, while Shanta Gokhale
received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Celebrating its landmark 20th edition in 2026, the Crossword Book Awards continues to recognise
both established and emerging voices, reflecting the richness and diversity of India’s literary
landscape