Tamil writer Perumal Murugan wins the coveted JCB Prize for Literature for his novel, Fire Bird, an English translation of his Tamil novel Aalanda Patchi. The award carries Rs. 25 lakh cash prize. The translator is Janani Kannan and the work published by Penguin. 

• Aalanda Patchi is about the forced migration of an agrarian family that happened six decades ago. The tragedy of being alienated from one’s native place, land and family, new town, new landscapes, new people, new environment.
• They have to accept it and make it constant. I wrote the novel driven by a desire to write about the capability of a family to handle both challenges. 
• Mr. Murugan said it was not merely the story of his ancestors or the life of his family. “I believe the novel will emotionally connect with every person displaced, small or big. The novel will also provide an experience of understanding agrarian life, the old times when there were not as many modern amenities, and the family relationships that characterise feudal life,” he added.

The JCB Literary Prize

JCB Prize for Literature is an Indian literary award established in 2018. It is awarded annually with Rs.2,500,000 prize to a distinguished work of fiction by an Indian writer working in English or translated fiction by an Indian writer.