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Crossword Book Awards 2026 Longlist Highlights Diverse Indian Writing
The Crossword Book Awards have announced a longlist of books for 2026.
A longlist is a group of books that could later become finalists.
It includes novels by writers such as Sarnath Banerjee, Jeet Thayil and Shanta Gokhale.
It also includes non-fiction books about subjects such as politics, ecology, culture and technology.
Other sections recognize children's books, translated works and business books.
The translation section includes books brought into English from six Indian languages.
A jury of writers, journalists, business experts and children's authors chose the longlisted books.
Readers will get a chance to vote in the Popular Choice Awards after the shortlists are announced.
The winners are expected to be announced at a ceremony in December.
Sarnath Banerjee, Jeet Thayil and Shanta Gokhale are among the fiction nominees.
The 20th-edition longlist covers fiction, non-fiction, translations, children's books, and business and management.
Non-fiction selections address history, politics, culture, technology, ecology and contemporary social issues.
The translations category features works originally written in Assamese, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Urdu and Bangla.
Jury and Popular Choice shortlists are due in October, with winners to be announced in December.
- Who
- The Crossword Book Awards jury selected books by established and emerging Indian authors, translators and business writers.
- What
- The 20th Crossword Book Awards longlist was announced across five categories.
- Where
- The awards recognize Indian writing in English and translation; the articles do not specify the ceremony location.
- When
- The longlist is for 2026; shortlists are scheduled for October and winners for December.
- Why
- The awards aim to recognize excellence in Indian writing across genres.
Key facts
- Edition
- 20th edition of the Crossword Book Awards
- Categories
- Fiction, non-fiction, translations, children's books, and business and management
- Featured fiction
- "Absolute Jafar" by Sarnath Banerjee, "The Elsewhereans" by Jeet Thayil, and "The Way Home" by Shanta Gokhale
- Featured non-fiction
- "Called by the Hills" by Ramachandra Roy, "Believer's Dilemma" by Abhishek Choudhary, and "Scamlands" by Snigdha Poonam
- Children's selections
- "Ancient Indians," "Babasaheb Ambedkar," "Lightning Kid," and "The Big Book of Poop"
- Translation languages
- Assamese, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Urdu, and Bangla
- Schedule
- Jury Awards and Popular Choice shortlists in October; winners announced in December
Quotes
Nidhi Gupta
Director of Crossword Bookstores
“This year's longlist reflects the many ways literature continues to engage with India today. It is an incredibly strong and diverse selection of books, bringing together a wide range of voices and perspectives. We're grateful to our jury for the thought and rigour they bring to this process.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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