'Tomb of Sand' of Gitanjali Shree Becomes 1st Hindi Novel To Win International Booker Prize

New Delhi: Delhi-based writer Gitanjali Shree on Thursday become the first Indian author to win the Sri International Booker Prize for her Hindi novel 'Tomb of Sand'.

This novel by Geetanjali was originally published under the Hindi title 'Reet Samadhi' which has been translated into English as 'Tomb of Sand' by Daisy Rockwell.

The novel is a story set in the shadow of the Partition of India, which depicts the story of an elderly woman after the death of her husband.

"We are delighted to announce that the winner of the #2022InternationalBooker Prize is 'Tomb of Sand' by Geetanjali Shree, translated from Hindi to English by @shreedaisy and published by @tiltedaxispress," The Booker Prizes said in a tweet.

The Booker Prize is a prestigious international award and is given annually to a book translated into English and published in Britain or Ireland. The book selected for the 2022 award was announced at the London Book Fair on 7 April.

The first Hindi-language book was shortlisted for the £50,000 prize. The prize money will be split between Geetanjali and Rockwell.

Translator Frank Wynne, who chaired the panel of judges, said the judges selected 'Tomb of Sand' after a very passionate debate.

''This is a dazzling novel of India and Partition, whose charm, compassion takes young age, man and woman, family and nation in many dimensions,'' he added.

The 64-year-old, Gitanjali has written three novels and several stories which have been translated into English, French, German, Serbian, and Korean.

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