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Crossword Book Awards Marks 20th Edition with One of Its Most Distinguished Jury Panels Yet

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Mumbai, August 4, 2026: 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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. 

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

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