The Dhahan Prize for Punjabi Literature calls attention to the significant, ongoing cultural production across national boundaries, and encourages new writing by awarding $25,000 CDN annually to one “best book of fiction” published in either of the two Punjabi scripts, Gurmukhi or Shahmukhi. Two runner-up prizes of $10,000 CDN are also awarded, with the provision that both scripts are represented
among the three winners. Although the region of Punjab was divided in the 1947 partition of the subcontinent, Punjabi culture and literature live on across borders and across scripts. Punjabi is a language and culture that is diverse and changing. Punjabi literature expresses the unique cultural ethos of this global community, describing the social, cultural, and political lives of Punjabis in South Asia and around the world. It is modern – with a commitment to social engagement and critique – but also draws on a rich centuries-old literary reservoir that includes Sheikh Farid, Guru Nanak, Waris Shah, Damodar, Amrita Pritam, Shiv Kumar, and Ustad Damman. The Dhahan Prize for Punjabi Literature is presented by Canada India Education Society, in partnership with University of British Columbia Department of Asia Studies.
