Every year, Atta Galatta has the immense pleasure of being able to felicitate the best and brightest of the Indian writers’ community. In association with the Bangalore Literature Festival, a platform for voices from all over India and the globe, we have been striving to commemorate literary achievements with the Atta Galatta-Bangalore Literature Festival Book Prize.
Instituted in 2015, the annual award are presented under 9 categories of Fiction (English), Non-Fiction (English), Popular Choice, Best Cover Design and expanded categories for Children’s Writing in 2022, Best Children’s Picture Book Story, Best Children’s Picture Book Illustrations, Best Children’s Book Fiction and Best Children’s Book Non-Fiction. An annual award is presented for Literary Achievement in Kannada to an author, celebrating their body of work and contribution to the language.
The Atta Galatta – Bangalore Literature Festival Book Prize is probably the only major literary prize that considers translations, short-story anthologies and self-published works
Winners take home an original trophy – Thought Beyond Words
Fiction
Shortlist
A Woman on a Suitcase Penguin
Winner Chronicles of an Hour and a Half Context
Hurda Bloomsbury
Loot: A Novel Penguin | Vintage
Maria Just Maria Harper | Perennial
Talashnama: The Quest Harper Collins
Non-Fiction
Shortlist
Fire on the Ganges Harper | Fourth Estate India
From Phansi Yard: My Year with the Women of Yerawada Juggernaut
Snakes, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll : My Early Years Harper Collins
The Day I Became a Runner : A Women's History of India through the Lens of Sport Harper | Fourth Estate India
The Many Lives of Syeda X : The Story of an Unknown Indian Juggernaut
Winner Why We Die : And How We Live : The New Science of Ageing and Longevity Hachette | Hodder Press
Popular Choice
Shortlist
To vote visit – agblfprize.in
11 Rules for Life: Secrets to Level Up Harper Collins
All He Left Me Was A Recipe Penguin | Ebury Press
Winner I Don't Love You Anymore: Moving On and Living Your Best Life Penguin | Ebury Press
I Have The Streets: A Kutti Cricket Story Penguin | Ebury Press
One Habit A Day: 31 Habits to Transform Your Life Westland
Our Bones In Your Throat Simon Schuster
Children's Fiction
Shortlist
Feathers, Fools and Farts: Manipuri Folktales Retold Penguin | Puffin
Winner How To Win An Election Penguin | Duckbill
Kick It, Rukku! Karadi Tales
Scare Walk Harper Collins
When Fairyland Lost Its Magic Harper Collins
Woebegone's Warehouse of Words Hachette
Children's Non-Fiction
Shortlist
565: The Dramatic Story of Unifying India Hachette
Winner A Children's History of India in 100 Objects Penguin | Puffin
A History of South India for Children: From Prehistory to Vijayanagara Hachette
Empires of the Sea: A Human History of the Indian Ocean World Pan Macmillan
North, South, East, West Pratham Books
The Book of Emperors Penguin | Puffin
Children's Picture Book Story
Shortlist
Head Curry Eklavya
I Won't Wash My Hair Penguin | Duckbill
The Girl Who Lost Her Yes Harper Collins
Why Are My Words Tangled? Niyogi | Perky Parrot
Winner Will Goondi Come Home? Tulika Books
ZardoZi: Stitched With Love Harper Collins
Children's Picture Book Story - Illustrations
Shortlist
A Song From Where I Live: PIN Code 678574 The Little Dipper
Akela Pickle Yolk Books
Winner Asha The Auto Driver Tulika Books
Karukku Norukku Karadi Tales
So Ja Ulloo Eklavya
The Grumpus Rumpus Pratham Books
Cover Design
Shortlist
Bird Milk and Mosquito Bones: A Memoir Penguin
Winner Mad Sisters of Esi Harper Collins
The Indian Cat: Stories, Paintings, Poetry, and Proverbs Aleph
The Many Lives of Pauloma Chattopadhyay Niyogi Books
The Women Who Would Not Die: Stories Speaking Tiger
Trophy - Thought Beyond Words
Thought Beyond Words aims to showcase how creative insights precede their translation into language.
The sculpture depicts the mind as a tree and thoughts as birds. Birds come and go to the branches of the tree. Some fleetingly, some with more persistence. Some birds will take up residence in the tree, build a nest in its branches and giving birth to more thoughts.
The sculpture was designed by Shri. T.S Ramani Sankar, the celebrated architect and executed by Sampath Appasamy of Artistick’s Art Forum.
Past Winners
Fiction
Everything the Light Touches Fourth Estate
Non-Fiction
Caste Pride Context
Popular Choice
Failure To Make Round Rotis Juggernaut
Children's Fiction
The District Cup Puffin
Children's Non-Fiction
Unknown Heroes Of India's Freedom Struggle Tulika Publishers
Children's Picture Book Story
When We Are Home Pratham
Children's Picture Book Story - Illustrations
Where is Mr.Thookam? The Little Dipper Publishing
Cover Design
From Makaras to Manticores Hachette India
Fiction
The Immortal King Rao 4th Estate
Non-Fiction
Desperately Seeking Shah Rukh : India’s Lonely Young Women and The Search for Intimacy and Independence Harper Collins
Children’s Fiction
Maithili and the Minotaur Web of Woe Penguin
Children’s Non-Fiction
Naturalist Ruddy Penguin
Picture Book - Story
Beauty is Missing Pratham Books
Picture Book - Illustrations
Dugga Pratham Books
Popular Choice
Open Book : Not Quite a Memoir Harper Collins
Cover Design
The Muslim Vanishes: A Play Penguin Vintage
Fiction
Alipura
Non-Fiction
Born a Muslim: Some Truths About Islam in India
Popular Choice
Unfinished: A Memoir
Young Adult Book
Saira Zariwala is Afraid
Children’s Picture Book
The Girl Who Loved to Sing: Teejan Bai
Cover Design
Shadow Craft: Visual Aesthetics of Black and White Hindi Cinema
Achievement in Kannada Literature
Girish Rao Hatwar
Fiction
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line Penguin Hamish Hamilton
Non Fiction
The Death Script: Dreams and Delusions in Naxal Country 4th Estate - HarperCollins
Popular Choice
Made in India: A Memoir Penguin eBury
Literary Achievement in Kannada
Vaidehi
Best Cover Design
Rising Heat Penguin Hamish Hamilton
Fiction
Blue Is Like Blue HarperCollins India
Non–Fiction
Early Indians: The Story of Our Ancestors and Where We Came From Juggernaut
Popular Choice
Life's Amazing Secrets: How to Find Balance and Purpose in Your Life Penguin Ananda
Literary Achievement in Kannada
Dr. H.S. Venkatesha Murthy
Fiction
No Presents Please Harper Collins
Fiction
When I Hid my Caste Speaking Tiger
Non-Fiction
Adi Shankaracharya, Hinduism’s Greatest Thinker Tranquebar
Popular Choice
Keepers of The Kalachakra Westland
Literary Achievement in Kannada
Jayant Kaikini
Fiction
The Small Town Sea Penguin Random House
Non-Fiction
Lone Fox Dancing - My Autobiography Speaking Tiger
Popular Choice
The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad Juggernaut
Literary Achievement in Kannada
Bolwar Mahammad Kunhi
Fiction
Pyre Penguin Random House
Non-Fiction
Half-Lion Penguin Random House
Literary Achievement in Kannada
K.V Tirumalesh
Fiction
The Way Things Were Picador
Non-Fiction
Gita Press and the Making of Hindu India Harper Collins India
Literary Achievement in Kannada
Prathibha Nandakumar