Continue to write, be honest to yourself: Geetanjali Shree, Booker 2022 winner

The International Booker winner on better appreciation for Indian literature and why writing should never be for recognition

There is an indefinable charm to Geetanjali Shree’s written word. The natural flow of the narrative, the turn of phrases, the self-effacing humour —  Tomb of Sand has it all. There is a constant sprinkling of wit when she speaks, too. Equally comfortable conversing in Hindi and English, the first Hindi writer to be awarded the International Booker Prize carries the honour with quiet modesty.

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She considers the prize a “special moment” for literature from South Asia and believes that the world is now “more likely to appreciate literature in South Asian languages.” Happy to share credit for the win with her English translator, Daisy Rockwell, Geetanjali didn’t forget to mention her French translator, Annie Montaut, in her acceptance speech in London. But she refuses full credit for the Booker; she would like to explain it away as a result of a “combination of star alignments and other factors.”

What she does not say in as many words, however, is that she has had to wait for this honour for around 30 years, putting in countless hours and silent labour. Her first short story collection,  Anugoonj, came out in 1991, and  Ret Samadhi itself, which has been translated as  Tomb of Sand, came four years ago in 2018.

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But life did not change much with  Ret Samadhi, and it has not changed a lot after the Booker for  Tomb of Sand. As she says, self-deprecatingly, “There are enough people around who don’t care for the Booker!” Edited excerpts from an interview:

In your winner’s speech, you called your award a special moment not just for you as an individual but for South Asian literature.