Even while the preparations for the Commonwealth Games grab centerstage,authors from across the world are vying for the 24th Commonwealth Writers Prize. Delhi s Rana Dasgupta and Pakistani author Daniyal Mueenuddin will go head to head with regional winners from Africa,Caribbean and Canada and South East Asia and Pacific to compete for the global prizes for best book and best first book. The Commonwealth Writers Prize is presented by the Commonwealth Foundation with support from the Macquarie Group Foundation and the final event is being organised by Siyahi,the literary consultancy. While Dasgupta,a British national,has won the Best Book category for his novel Solo (HarperCollins) in the Europe regional segment,Mueenuddin won the South Asian segment for his collection of short stories,In Other Rooms,Other Wonders (Random House). Last year Mohammed Hanif from Pakistan won the award for best first book,and this year I am honoured to be chosen as a finalist for the same prize. I hope this is indicative of a bright new tendency in Pakistan s cultural life, says Mueenuddin. It is particularly gratifying that the ceremony is being held in India ,with whom we have had such a fraught relationship. Indian readers will perhaps find through my stories that they have more commonality than differences with us,though a wire fence along the border separates the two countries,he adds. The final programme will start on April 7 in the capital,and will bring together the eight finalists from the different regions and their corresponding judges for a series of literary events which will include discussions with the authors,readings and community and public events. The final round of judging will take place in Delhi before the winners of the two categories of Overall Best Book and Best First Book are announced. The Best First Book winner claims £5,000 while the writer of the Best Book wins £10,000.
