Well-known Bengali writer Upamanyu Chatterjee’s book ‘Lorenzo Searches for the Meaning of f Life’ won the JCB Prize for Literature 2024. The award was announced at a ceremony at JCB India Headquarters in Faridabad on Saturday.

The prize, established in 2018, holds a cash prize of Rs.25 lakh along with a trophy sculpted by Delhi artist duo, Thukral and Tagra, titled ’Mirror Melting, is presented to a distinguished work of fiction by an Indian author.

The winning book was chosen by a jury headed by poet Jerry Pinto along with art historian Deepthi Sashidharan, writer Tridip Suhurd, filmmaker Shaunak Sen, and artist Aqui Thami.

“For me, the book is both a small canvas, because it is a canvas inside a man’s heart and soul. It is a faith journey. And it is a huge canvas because it takes in notions of who we are and what we want to become and how we want to take that journey, whether into a cloister or into a village,” said Jerry Pinto, the chairman of the jury.

Mita Kapur, literary director for the JCB Prize, noted that it has become a “transformative platform” since its beginning as a tribute to “the diversity of storytelling”.

“It is an honour to witness the continued legacy of the JCB Prize for Literature, a celebration of the exceptional voices that shape the literary landscape of India. What began as a tribute to the diversity of storytelling has evolved into a transformative platform, amplifying narratives that resonate deeply with the times,” she added.

The shortlist for the award included “The One Legged” by Sakyajit Bhattacharya, translated from Bengali by Rituparna Mukherjee; “Chronicle of an Hour and a Half” by Saharu Nusaiba Kannanari; “Sanatan” by Sharankumar Limbale, translated from the Marathi by Paromita Sengupta; and “Maria, Just Maria” by Sandhya Mary, translated from the Malayalam by Jayasree Kalathil.

Each of the shortlisted authors are awarded Rs one lakh, and if the shortlisted piece is a translation, the translator receives Rs 50,000. In 2023, “Firebird” by Perumal Murugan, translated from Tamil by Janani Kannan won the award.