Geetanjali Shree’s Hindi novel "Tomb of Sand", translated into English by US-based Daisy Rockwell, became the first book in any Indian language to win the International Booker Prize. Shree is also the first writer from India to win the prize. The prize is awarded every year for a book that is translated into English. It’s distinct from the Booker Prize, which has been won by Indian writers like Arundhati Roy and Aravind Adiga in the past.
During the acceptance speech, Shree said that when the novel was first published in India, some people told her that it was impossible to translate because it didn't have a simple linear plot and there was so much play with language. “I never dreamt of the Booker, I never thought I could. What a huge recognition. I am amazed, delighted, honoured and humbled,” Shree said after the award ceremony in London.
Shree said it felt good to be the first novel in Hindi to win the prestigious prize. “Ever since the book got longlisted, much has been written about Hindi making it for the first time. It feels good to be the means of that happening but also obliges me to emphasise that behind me and this book lies a rich and flourishing tradition in Hindi and South Asian languages.”
Set in north India, the novel, originally called "Ret Samadhi", follows an 80-year-old woman who slips into depression after her husband’s death but then gains a new lease of life after striking up a friendship with a hijra and travelling to Pakistan to confront the unresolved trauma of her teenage experiences of Partition.
Frank Wynne, the chair of judges, said the panel were "captivated by the power, the poignancy and the playfulness" of her novel. He added that he had not read anything like it before, and its "exuberance" and "passion" make it a book "the world could do with right now."
The prize money will be split between Shree and the book's translator Daisy. Shree's 725-page novel competed against five other shortlisted titles, by Mieko Kawakami, Bora Chung, Jon Fosse, Claudia Pineiro and former winner Olga Tokarczuk.
Born in the city of Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh, Shree, 64, is the author of three novels and several story collections. 'Tomb of Sand' is the first of her books to be published in the UK.
