BENGALURU: A prolific writer, Sudha Murty writes for the sake of writing. But having received the Crossword Book Awards for her book The Upside Down King in the Children’s Book category, Murty says getting an award “even at this age is a pleasure.” “My readers liking my work is what counts. But it is a great incentive. This award should really go to children, my readers who make me a writer,” says Murty, who was given the award in Mumbai, at the 17th edition of the Crossword Book Awards.
A writer who weaves in ideas on women’s rights and gender equality with the use of mythological tales and characters, Murty credits her in-depth knowledge in mythology to her grandparents. “I really have to thank them for teaching me so much about mythology. It made a great impact on my life. Whenever I am down, I think of the characters who faced difficulties and how they overcame their problems, that I want to install in the next generation,” says Murty, who released her book, The Daughter from a Wishing Tree, a couple of months ago.
A jury of 12 members, including author Janice Pariat, literary critic Somak Ghoshal, culture editor Vivek Tejuja, writer and blogger Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan and Rohan Narayana Murty, founder of Murty Classical Library, selected a shortlist of writing in the areas of fiction, non-fiction, Indian language translation, and children’s writing.
Twinkle Khanna won in the fiction category (popular choice) for her book Pyjamas Are Forgiving, while Gaur Gopal Das walked away with the best book title in the non-fiction category for Life’s Amazing Secrets: How to Find Balance and Purpose in Your Life. “I would like to say that writers need to have an inflated sense of self-worth to feel that their work is worthy of someone else’s attention and then look at their work objectively. Listen to yourself, create your suggestions and incorporate them,” said Khanna.
The jury named Madhuri Vijay the winner in the fiction category (jury award) for her book The Far Field, Shanta Gokhale in the non-fiction category for her book One Foot on the Ground: A Life Told Through the Body.