LAHORE: Fiction writer Shahzad Aslam has made it to the three finalists for the coveted Dhahan Prize for Punjabi Literature this year.

The announcement was made the other day and Aslam had been selected by the juries of the prize from the seven shortlisted Punjabi writers. The only other Pakistani writer with a Shahmukhi book in the short list was Amber Hosseini while five were from Indian Punjab whose books were in Gurmukhi.

Shahzad Aslam, a native of Wazirabad and a judge by profession, has been selected for his collection of short stories, Jungle Rakhe Jag De, published by Sanjh Publishers.

Two other finalists are Surinder Neer and Jinder from India. The announcement for the winner of the Dhahan prize would be made on Nov 14 in Canada.

“The award made a huge difference in Shahmukhi literary landscape”

The Dhahan Prize’s advisory committee is chaired by Punjabi writer and teacher Zubair Ahmed while the other Pakistani scholar in it is Dr Khola Cheema.

Talking to Dawn about the prize, Zubair said any writer, publisher or even a friend of the writer could submit a book for the award. He said the juries were formed every year and its members were paid a handsome amount for grading books independently without any influence.

“The juries make recommendations while the final decision is made by the management of the Dhahan Prize, keeping in view the marks given to the books by the central jury and separate juries for Shahmukhi and Gurumukhi books.” Regarding the formation of the Shahmukhi jury in Pakistan, he informed that the chairman of the advisory committee (Zubair himself) formed it every year.

“We try to announce the winners on merit. Even making it to the short list of the award is a great achievement for any writer.”

Talking about the influence of the Dhahan Prize since its inception, Zubair said, “the award has made a huge difference in the Shahmukhi literary landscape. Any writer who writes in Shahmukhi has the award somewhere in their mind while writing a book.”

He said that besides the cash prize, the award was boosting books’ sale for the writers as the people came to know about a certain book. “At the end of the day, the award benefits the writer,” he added.

Barj S. Dhahan, the founder of the prize, in an online interview, said that the jury for this year’s Shahmukhi books was chaired by Sarwat Sohail, the principal of Govt College for Women, Tariqabad, Gujranwala while its members included film maker, activist and young emerging writer Ali Usman Bajwa and Dr Saima Shaban, the CEO of Bookilicious and a PhD in Punjabi. The central jury included Dr Hanif Fouzia from the Govt College for Women, Nowshera Virkaan from Pakistan while Dr Harbans Singh Dhiman and Prof Jaspal Ghai from India.

Mr Dhahan said that this year they had received 43 books of Gurmukhi and 11 books of Shahmukhi and selection had been made from them by the jury members. The award carries a cash prize of 25,000 CAD for the winner while 10,000 CAD for each of the finalists.

Jungle Rakhey Jag De is Shahzad Aslam’s third short story collection. About the book, the Dhahan committee said, “The stories explore the complexity of the contemporary social, psychological, economic, and cultural environment of their characters. At times, life is presented as immensely ridiculous and confusing, making it hard for the characters to make sense of their situations. The title story depicts deforestation and the destruction of ecosystems. It serves as a wake-up call, warning readers that humanity’s future is bleak. The narration is smart and engaging, with references to television programmes, news, protests, memorable moments and poetry. It uses ample sarcasm and absurdity.”

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2024