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Crossword Book Award

The Crossword Book Awards is an Indian literary award presented annually by Crossword Bookstores. The award recognises the finest of Indian writing in English as selected by a jury and readers, and promotes Indian authors and their books. It is among the longest-running literary awards in India.

Categories

The Crossword Book Awards has two categories:

Jury Awards

The Jury Awards are decided by panels with three jurors per category. The categories include:

  • Fiction
  • Non-fiction
  • Business and management
  • Translations
  • Children's books

Popular Choice Awards

The Popular Choice Awards are determined through voting by readers across Crossword Bookstore outlets and online platforms. Categories include:

  • Fiction
  • Non-fiction
  • Children's books
  • Business and management
  • Mind, body and spirit

History and administration

Inception and Evolution

The award was instituted in 1998 by Crossword Bookstores to encourage and promote Indian writing. According to the Crossword Bookstore website:

"While several Indian writers have won awards abroad, we had observed that there was no equivalent award in India. We therefore decided to take on the role of encouraging and promoting good Indian writing and instituted the Book Awards, in 1998. It is the only Indian award that not only recognizes and rewards good writing but also actively promotes the authors and their books."

Over the years, the awards have been presented under different sponsor-backed titles, including the Crossword Book Award (1998–2003), the Hutch Crossword Book Award (2004–2007), the Vodafone Crossword Book Award (2008–2010), the Economist Crossword Book Award (2011–2013), the Raymond & Crossword Book Award (2014–2018), and the Crossword Book Awards (2024–present).

Nomination and Selection Process

For the Jury Awards, publishers submit nominations during an annual entry period, typically held between March and April. The submitted titles are reviewed to ensure they meet the award’s eligibility requirements before being forwarded to the jury for evaluation. The panel is typically composed of authors, literary critics, journalists, editors, and other experts associated with the respective categories. The jury, selects a longlist of ten titles in each category, which is subsequently narrowed to a shortlist of five titles. The final winners are announced at an awards ceremony typically held in December in Mumbai.

For the Popular Choice Awards, the selection process begins later in the year. In this category, five books in each of five categories—Fiction, Non-fiction, Children’s books, Business and Management, and Mind, Body & Spirit—are identified by Crossword based on annual sales data and rankings from Crossword stores, verified by independent auditors. Readers are then invited to vote online, and the winners in each category are determined through this public voting process. Previous winners.

References

External links