An undergraduate student of Delhi University’s Lady Sriram College has won an essay competition aimed at initiating a dialogue about South Asian writing among youth in the city.
Shyamolie Singh, a sophomore student of the Lady Shri Ram College for Women topped the competition with her 1000 word entry titled “Changing Identities in Contemporary South Asian Literature” organised by the $ 50,000 DSC Prize, a top international prize on South Asian literature.
Ms. Shyamolie will get a certificate of merit as well as an all-expense paid trip to the Prize ceremony, scheduled to take place at the Jaipur Literature Festival on January 18, organisers said in a statement on Thursday.
The first runner up Bhavna Singal from Gargi College has been awarded a certificate of merit and a token cash prize, the organisers said.
Literature students from four Delhi University colleges namely, the Jesus and Mary College, the Hindu College, Gargi College and the Lady Shri Ram College for Women, participated in the competition where contestants had to submit a 1000 word essay on “Emergence and growth of South Asian literature in the last decade”.
The DSC Prize has initiatives all along the year including an annual DSC Prize Winner’s Tour where the winner is taken to select South Asian cities for readings and interactions with literary enthusiasts.
The DSC Prize also promotes South Asian writing by partnering through events at literary festivals, educational institutions and cultural centres.
Apart from the collegiate writing contest, every year the Prize also takes its shortlisted authors to select colleges for book readings and interactions with interested students.
Commenting on the Collegiate Writing Program, Manhad Narula of the DSC Prize Steering Committee said, “As we successfully complete four glorious years of the DSC Prize, I am happy to see the conversation on South Asian writing expanding through the various programs and events associated with the prize.
“I hope that through this collegiate writing program, the DSC Prize can encourage some young aspiring writers to hone their skills and become authors in the future,” he said.
Madhu Grover, Head, English Department, LSR said, “We deeply appreciate the immense efforts of the DSC Prize in undertaking this initiative.
“We also believe that the area of South Asian writing is awaiting more academic exploration and that the region from which it emanates needs initiatives like these for its creative potential to experience a global unfolding.”
The DSC Company has been the principal sponsor of the JLF for five years till 2013.
The DSC Prize was set up in 2010 and carries an award of $ 50,000. Over the last three years, the Prize has gone to H M Naqvi from Pakistan for “Homeboy”, Shehan Karunatilaka from Sri Lanka for “Chinaman” and Jeet Thayil from India for “Narcopolis”.
