Mumbai, October 13, 2026: Crossword Bookstores has released the Jury Awards shortlist for the 20th edition of the Crossword Book Awards, naming 25 books across the categories of Fiction, Non-fiction, Translations, Children’s Books, and Business & Management.
The shortlist, selected by juries from 50 longlisted titles announced in September, features five books in each category and highlights a diverse range of Indian writing. The Translations category includes works originally written in Telugu, Hindi, Urdu, and Bangla, broadening access to regional literature.
Shortlisted books by category
In Fiction, the shortlisted titles are “Absolute Jafar” by Sarnath Banerjee (HarperCollins Publishers India), “Railsong” by Rahul Bhattacharya (Bloomsbury India), “The Menon Investigation” by Saharu Nusaiba Kannanari (Penguin Random House India), “The Remnants of Rebellion” by Ponnu Elizabeth Mathew (Aleph Book Company), and “Water Days” by Sundar Sarukkai (Westland Books).
The Non-fiction shortlist comprises “Believer’s Dilemma” by Abhishek Choudhary (Pan Macmillan India), “Dapaan” by Ipsita Chakravarty (Westland Books), “Scamlands” by Snigdha Poonam (Penguin Random House India), “The Dig” by Sowmiya Ashok (Hachette India), and “Wild Capital” by Neha Sinha (HarperCollins Publishers India).
For Translations, the selected works are “On the Banks of the Pampa” by Volga, translated from Telugu by Purnima Tammireddy (HarperCollins Publishers India); “Sita’s Veil” by Anamika, translated from Hindi by Nishtha Gautam (Vani Prakashan); “The Chinese Mansion” by Siddique Alam, translated from Urdu by Jaideep Pandey (Hachette India); “The Mapmaker” by Maitry Roy Moulik, translated from Bangla by Chandana Dutta (Niyogi Books Private Limited); and “Tiger Lessons” by Sannapureddy Venkatarami Reddy, translated from Telugu by Narasimha Kumar (Bloomsbury India).
Children’s and business writing nominees
The Children’s Books shortlist includes “Giants” by Huthuka Sumi, illustrated by Canato Jimo (HarperCollins Publishers India); “If Elephants Could Talk” by Ranjeeta Raam, illustrated by Damini Gupta (Hachette India); “Our Rice Tastes of Spring” by Anumeha Yadav, illustrated by Spitting Image (Westland Books); “The White Lotus” by Aditi Krishnakumar (Penguin Random House India); and “The Big Book of Wild Poop” by Shweta Taneja, illustrated by Sunaina Coelho (Juggernaut Publications).
In Business & Management, the shortlisted books are “Family and Dhanda” by Srinath Sridharan (Rupa Publications India), “Made in India” by Manish Sabharwal and Sundeep Khanna (Juggernaut Publications), “Running Behind Lakshmi” by Adil Rustomjee (Hachette India), “Tatyasaheb” by Tejaswini Apte-Rahm (Westland Books), and “The S.I.S Story” by Prince Mathews Thomas (HarperCollins Publishers India).
Popular Choice Awards and ceremony details
The Popular Choice Awards shortlist, which will feature bestselling books in English by Indian authors, is set to be announced next. Voting for the Popular Choice Awards opens on October 26, 2026. Winners for both the Jury Awards and Popular Choice Awards will be revealed at the Crossword Book Awards ceremony in December 2026.
Background and previous winners
The Crossword Book Awards, established in 1998, celebrate Indian writing in English and translation, recognising both established and emerging authors. The 2025 Jury Awards winners included Ruchir Joshi and Manu S. Pillai, with Sudha Murty taking the Popular Choice Award and Shanta Gokhale receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Nidhi Gupta, Director of Crossword Bookstores, said the 2026 shortlist “is a celebration of the strength and diversity of Indian writing,” and that the selected titles “demonstrate why these stories matter now.”
Disclaimer: This article is based on a press release provided by the concerned organisation and has been edited for style and clarity with the assistance of AI tools. BusinessFortnight does not verify, endorse, or take responsibility for the claims, figures, or statements made in the original release.
