More women poets in Punjabi now, says Dhahan prize founder Brijinder Dhahan

Amritsar, February 21

In an engaging session on Dhahan Prize, Punjabi fiction in global context and women in Punjabi literature, Brijinder Dhahan, founder of the prestigious Dhahan prize in Punjabi literature, said that Punjabi language and literature is witnessing a new wave, with contemporary writers, especially women, excelling in the field. He said that the fact that last two winners of the Dhahan prize were women writers and poets from Charda and Lehnda Punjab is a testimony to this uprising.

The session titled ‘Naari Mann Da Gahan’, dwelt on women in Punjabi literature, telling their stories through narratives that derive from their social history as well as contemporary times. The session was moderated by famous poet Artinder Sandhu, and was followed by poetry recitals by popular upcoming women Punjabi poets.

Dhahan, a Canadian entrepreneur, instituted the prize after his native village Dhahan in 2013. The Dhahan prize is awarded to three best works of fiction in Punjabi, penned in Gurmukhi or Shahmukhi scripts and honours talent from both Charda and Lehnda Punjab, while also being open to writers from across the world. It involves the highest prize money featuring in a literary award in South Asia, as it gives away 45,000 Canadian dollars to three writers with 25,000 Canadian dollars for the winner and two 10,000 Canadian dollar prize for the runners-up. In terms of prestige, its popularly has gained the status of a Booker Prize in Punjabi literature.