Kalinga Literary Festival Announces Winners of the 6th KLF Book Awards 2026

The awards recognise excellence across fiction, non-fiction, debut writing, poetry and translation, bringing together a diverse range of contemporary writing and highlighting the contribution of authors and translators to India’s literary landscape.

The awardees will be felicitated at the inaugural ceremony of the Ek Bharat, Anek Bol Literary Festival, presented by Kalinga Literary Festival, on 18 December 2026 at Travancore Palace, New Delhi. The festival will bring together writers, translators, publishers and cultural practitioners for three days of literary conversations, language and cultural exchange.

Commenting on the announcement, Rashmi Ranjan Parida, Founder & Director, Kalinga Literary Festival (KLF), said, “The KLF Book Awards are about recognising writing that stays with readers and adds something meaningful to our literary landscape. I am delighted that this year’s winners will be celebrated in Delhi as part of the first edition of Ek Bharat, Anek Bol.”

English Category Winners

In the Best Fiction category, Ruchir Joshi has been recognised for Great Eastern Hotel, published by HarperCollins Publishers India. Set in Calcutta in 1941, the novel portrays a city at a moment of political and social transition against the backdrop of the Second World War, weaving personal narratives with a changing historical landscape.

The Best Non-Fiction category has two joint winners. Vauhini Vara is recognised for Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age, published by Pantheon, which explores identity and human connection in an increasingly technology-driven world. Snigdha Poonam shares the award for Scamlands, published by Penguin Viking, an investigation into the networks and social conditions behind the expanding world of fraud.

Zahid Rafiq wins the Best Debut award for The World With Its Mouth Open, published by Hamish Hamilton, Penguin Random House India. The collection of stories explores everyday life in Kashmir, engaging with themes of conflict, loss, resilience and human relationships.

In the Best Poetry Collection category, Jennifer Robertson is recognised for Folie à Deux, published by Paperwall Publishing. The collection reflects on memory, art, photography and the complexities of personal experience.

The Best Translated Fiction award goes to Jissa Jose for Mudritha, translated from Malayalam into English by Jayasree Kalathil and published by HarperCollins Publishers India. The novel explores women’s lives, aspirations and quests for freedom in Kerala, while also showing how translation can bring regional-language writing to a wider readership.  

Hindi Category Winners

The Hindi Fiction category has two joint winners. Pankaj Subir is recognised for ख़ैबर दर्रा, published by Rajpal & Sons, while Satyanarayan wins jointly for इस मिनखाजूण में ‘यायावर की डायरी’, published by Sambhavna Prakashan. Together, the two works reflect the breadth of contemporary Hindi fiction and its engagement with lived experience and social realities.

In Hindi Non-Fiction, Seema Kapoor wins for यूँ गुज़री है अब तलक, published by Rajkamal Prakashan. The work brings personal reflection and lived experience to the forefront, contributing to the tradition of life writing in Hindi literature.

The Hindi Debut award goes to Malini Awasthi for चन्दन किवाड़, published by Vani Prakashan. Widely known for her work in Indian folk and classical music, Awasthi brings her engagement with India’s cultural traditions to her literary work.

Yatindra Mishra receives the Hindi Poetry Collection award for बिना कलिंग विजय के, published by Vani Prakashan. A poet and writer known for his engagement with Indian music and cultural traditions, Mishra’s work reflects the continuing relationship between poetry, history and collective memory.

In Hindi Translation, Yunus Khan is recognised for जब औरत सोचती है, published by Rajkamal Prakashan. The award also draws attention to the role of translation in enabling literary works to reach readers across languages.

Awards to Be Presented in New Delhi

Each award category carries a cash prize of ₹1,00,000, along with a citation, a trophy and a traditional shawl.

The award ceremony will form part of the inaugural programme of the Ek Bharat, Anek Bol Literary Festival, taking place from 18 to 20 December 2026 at Travancore Palace, New Delhi.

Bringing together India’s many literary and linguistic traditions, the festival will create a shared space for writers, readers, translators and cultural voices to meet, exchange ideas and engage in conversation.

Through the KLF Book Awards and its wider initiatives, the Kalinga Literary Festival continues to recognise literary achievement, encourage cross-cultural engagement and celebrate the writers and translators contributing to contemporary Indian literature.

About the Kalinga Literary Festival

Founded in 2012 by the Odisha Diary Foundation, the Kalinga Literary Festival is a literary and cultural platform dedicated to promoting literature, ideas, dialogue and cultural exchange.

Through its annual festival, book awards and related initiatives, KLF brings together writers, poets, translators, scholars, publishers and readers from India and abroad.

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