Bestseller lists, usually don't decide an author's worth. That's where awards gain prominence in the literary world, says author Nilanjana Roy whose debut novel has been longlisted for the fourth edition of the USD 50,000 DSC South Asian Literature Prize.
"Bestseller lists decide nothing. In fact, they're so indecisive, they change every week. More seriously, bestseller lists measure popularity, not worth. Literary prizes tap the reader on the shoulder and tell them about books they might want to read but might not know about," Nilanjana told PTI in an interview.
Nilanjana's fiction "The Wildings" is among the 15 works longlisted for the prize, whose winner is set to be announced at the DSC Jaipur Literature Festival in January 2014. The prize has been instituted by infrastructure and construction major DSC Limited, which also sponsors the Jaipur Literature Festival.
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According to the author the question "Which book sold more?" does not figure in the selection criterion of juries.
"The most interesting question for the jury is not 'Has this book sold a lot?' Even chana, chips and Belgian dark chocolate sell a lot. They ponder more over questions like 'Is this book something I would want all my friends to read?' and 'Would readers ten years from now love this novel?'".
Nilanjana's novel "The Wildings" set in the dark alleys of Nizamuddin explores the city through the eyes of cats. A small band of cats including Miao, the clan elder, a wise, grave Siamese; Katar, a cat loved by his followers and feared by his enemies; Hulo, the great warrior tom; Beraal, the beautiful queen, swift and deadly when challenged; Southpaw, the kitten whose curiosity can always be counted on to get him into trouble live in Old Delhi.
