Left to right: Barj Dhahan, Founder, Dhahan Prize for Punjabi Literature, Jinder, 2024 Dhahan Prize winner and Kiran Sunar, Acting Assistant Professor of Punjabi Language, Literature, and Culture, Department of Asian Studies, University of British Columbia (UBC)
Vancouver, B.C. (November 14, 2024) – The world’s signature prize for Punjabi fiction yesterday announced its 11th annual winner, Jinder (Jalandhar, Punjab, India), of a $25,000 CAD award for his short story collection, ‘Safety Kit.’
Alongside him, Shahzad Aslam (Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan) and Surinder Neer (Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir, India) were awarded $10,000 CAD each as two finalists. Aslam was recognized for his short story collection, ‘Jungle Rakhey Jag De,’ and Neer, for her short story collection, ‘Taboo.’
‘Safety Kit’ and ‘Taboo’ were written in the Gurmukhi script (commonly used in India), while ‘Jungle Rakhey Jag De’ was written in the Shahmukhi script (commonly used in Pakistan).
An additional $6,000 CAD was awarded for the transliteration of the three books into Gurmukhi or Shahmukhi.
The Dhahan Prize, based in Richmond, B.C., is the largest international literary award for fiction books in the Punjabi language.
“I cannot express in words the joy of winning this prestigious award,” said Jinder. “I never dreamt that I would receive it in Canada. Now I feel a greater responsibility towards my writings.”
Awardees were presented with their awards, along with a hand-crafted trophy, during the ceremonies held November 14, 2024, at Northview Golf and Country Club in Surrey, B.C.
Shahzad Aslam was not able to attend the ceremonies in person.
Part of the ceremony included MLA Raj Chouhan presenting the Proclamation of “Punjabi Literature Week” by the Province of British Columbia.
Carole Richardson, Executive Assistant to Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke, also gave the city’s proclamation of the same. The City of Vancouver gave its proclamation a day earlier.
Shahzad Aslam shared in advance of the ceremonies, “To be acknowledged as a writer through a prestigious award is to know that the journey is worth traveling. My passion for writing has now turned into euphoria.”
Left to right: Melek Su Ortabasi, Associate Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Surinder Neer, 2024 Dhahan Prize Finalist and Shahzad Nazir Khan, advisor to the Dhahan Prize
Surinder Neer noted, “I was so thrilled to be a finalist of the Dhahan Prize that I got goosebumps. It’s a big honour for me. It also recognizes the entire literature of Jammu and Kashmir at the global level.”
During a press conference on Sep 12, 2024 at Simon Fraser University’s Surrey Campus, Zubair Ahmad, Chair of the Dhahan Prize Advisory Board said:
“The shortlisted books encompass current issues relating to Punjabis in several countries. Themes include the environment, women’s empowerment, caste, human relationships between males and females, Punjabi diaspora and more.
“The authors have demonstrated excellent command of storytelling. We also feel we have good candidates for English translation,” he continued..
At the same press conference, Prize founder Barj S. Dhahan said:
“Our goal is to make known the excelling works of Punjabi fiction that are released each year, to the wider public. As an organization, we have always strived for the bridging of the two Punjabs with the diaspora Punjab. Transliteration is one of the most effective ways to do that.
“We hope that through transliteration, more of these curated books will make it into the hands of Punjabis around the world.”
During the ceremonies, Mr. Dhahan announced the newly-formed, $200,000 Dhahan Luminaries Award (including $50,000 matched by the University of British Columbia). The funds will be distributed to a minimum of 42 master’s students studying Punjabi at five partner universities around the world, over the next six years.
Barj Dhahan, Founder, Dhahan Prize for Punjabi Literature
Since its launch in 2013 by the Canada India Education Society (CIES) and the University of British Columbia (UBC), the Dhahan Prize has garnered critical acclaim and significant exposure for aspiring and established writers, setting the stage for their books to 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’s presenting partner is RBC Foundation. Barj and Rita Dhahan, along with their family and friends, are primary funders.
2024 sponsors included RBC Dominion Securities – Harj & Darshan Grewal, G.L. Smith Planning and Design Inc., Adrian Keenan Personal Real Estate Corporation (ReMax, Mayne-Pender), SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement and Tim Hortons.