Vancouver: The Dhahan Prize for Punjabi Literature proudly announces the 2016 winners awarded for excellence in the Punjabi literary community. The Dhahan Prize promotes Punjabi literature on a global scale by awarding $25,000 annually to the best book of fiction published in either Gurmukhi or Shahmukhi scripts, along with two additional second prizes of $5,000 CDN.
2016 Winners of the Dhahan Prize for Punjabi Literature are:
First Prize – $25,000
Kaale Varke (Black Pages), Short story collection by Jarnail Singh
Second Prize – $5,000 x 2
Tassi Dharti (Thirsty Land), Novel, by Zahid Hassan
Us Pal (That Moment), Short story collection by Simran Dhaliwal
“Jarnail Singh’s collection of short stories is powerful as it explores the lived experience of immigrant Punjabis in North America. It was selected by
the jurors to receive the Dhahan Prize from an impressive list of submissions”, said Barj S. Dhahan, Founder of the Prize.
The Dhahan Prize is the largest literary award celebrating the rich history of the Punjabi language. The Prize aims to inspire the creation of Punjabi literature across borders, bridging Punjabi communities around the world and promoting Punjabi literature on a global scale. The awards garner critical acclaim and significant exposure for aspiring writers, setting the stage for its select winners to secure international projects that will also reach broader multilingual audiences.
The Dhahan Prize was established in Vancouver, British Columbia, where Punjabi people, language and culture have a rich history. Punjabi is now the 3rd most spoken language in Canada and is a strong thread in the multicultural fabric of the nation. The Prize has been established by the Canada India Education Society in partnership with the Department of Asian Studies in the Faculty of Arts at University of British Columbia, and is funded by an endowment from Barj and Rita Dhahan, their family and friends.
