Here’s some good news for authors. The New India Foundation (NIF) has announced the 11th edition of its fellowships that support books documenting various aspects of the dynamic and rich landscape of India post-Independence era.
About 20-25 proposals will be shortlisted to meet with a jury consisting of eminent people from the world of scholarship, business, and social service and 5-10 fellowships will be awarded.
With an annual stipend of Rs 18 lakh to each recipient, the NIF Book Fellowships will also offer editorial and administrative guidance through its course, from proposal to publication.
The fellowships are open to Indian nationals, including those currently living abroad, and will be awarded for a period of one year.
The jury this year includes social scientist and author Niraja Jayal, historian Srinath Raghavan, and entrepreneurs Nandan Nilekani and Manish Sabharwal.
“Fellowship-holders are expected to write original books in English. Proposals should be oriented towards publication, and outline a road map towards that destination. The foundation is agnostic as regards genre, theme, and ideology: the only requirement is that the proposed works contribute to a fuller understanding of independent India,” a statement by the Bengaluru-based NIF said.
“Thus, fellowship holders may choose to write a memoir, or a work of reportage, or a thickly footnoted academic study. Their books could be oriented towards economics, or politics, or culture. They could be highly specific – an account of a single decade or a single region – or wide-ranging, such as a countrywide overview,” it added.
According to NIF trustee Raghavan, “In a very real sense, the New India Foundation believes that India today is such a fascinating yet complex phenomenon that in order to be able to get a grip on where we are – and where we might be going – we need to approach through many windows and vantage points.” The last date for applying is December 31.
Since its inception, the NIF Book Fellowships have resulted in the publication of several critically acclaimed books that have recorded various aspects of contemporary Indian history.
Courtesy : The Indian Express