Author Geetanjali Shree made history with his Hindi translated novel ‘Grave of sand becomes the first book in any Indian language to win the prestigious International Booker Prize 2022. Originally published in Hindi as ‘Ret Samadhi’the book is translated into English by Daisy Rockwell.
The book was described by the judges as a “loud, compelling novel” and competed with five other titles from around the world for the prestigious £50,000 literary prize.
“I never dreamed of the Booker, I never thought I could do it. What a huge recognition, I am amazed, delighted, honored and humbled,” said Geetanjali Shree, in his acceptance speech.
“There is a melancholic satisfaction in the award given to him. ‘Ret Samadhi/Sand Grave’ is an elegy for the world we inhabit, an enduring energy that keeps hope alive in the face of impending doom. The Booker will surely bring it to many more people than it otherwise would have reached, that shouldn’t hurt the book,” she said.
We are delighted to announce that the winner of the #2022InternationalReservation The prize is ‘Tomb of Sand’ by Geetanjali Shree, translated from Hindi to English by @shreedaisy and published by @tiltedaxispress@Terribleman @JeremyTiang @mervatim @VascoDaGappah @VivGroskop pic.twitter.com/TqUTew0Aem
— The Booker Prizes (@TheBookerPrizes) May 26, 2022
Take a look at Geetanjali Shree moment and @shreedaisy learned that they had won the #2022InternationalReservation Price! Read more about ‘Tomb of Sand’ here: https://t.co/VBBrTmfNIH@TiltedAxisPress #TranslatedFiction pic.twitter.com/YGJDgMLD6G
— The Booker Prizes (@TheBookerPrizes) May 26, 2022
The award-winning book tells the story of an 80-year-old woman who experiences deep depression after the death of her husband. Eventually, she overcomes her depression and decides to travel to Pakistan to finally face the past she left behind during the partition.
Geetanjali was born in Mainpuri of UP and is currently based in New Delhi. She is also the author of three novels and several collections of short stories, many of which have been translated into English, French, German, Serbian and Korean.
Shree is the recipient of several awards and has been a member of the Ministry of Culture, India and Japan Foundation. She is known for choosing hard-hitting topics for her novels.
Varun Gandhi used his Twitter handle and tweeted about the book:
A great pride that Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree – translated from रेत समाधि, his brilliant Hindi novel – has won the Booker Prize…
I take this opportunity to post the best books I have read so far this year: pic.twitter.com/WTrwYxeNDD
— Varun Gandhi (@varungandhi80) May 27, 2022
