Pokhara, Nepal: And the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2019 goes to Amitabha Bagchi’s novel Half the Night is Gone.
Half The Night Is Gone explores the intricacies of family relation at the core. The story revolves around a Delhi-based wealthy family headed by Lala Motichand. Motichand is a merchant and has three sons. He weaves expectations from his sons as any Indian father does. He wants his eldest son Dinanath to manage the family business. His second son Diwanchand is engrossed in spirituality while his third son Makhan Lal is crazy after the Marxist philosophy.
Amitabha underlines how an Indian family places its values in the society, about present and past and about family expectations. But life is not as one dreams of. Every individual has own dreams and inclination.
Though written in English, the language is very simple and lucid, the subjects are purely Indian, the ethos are authentic. At the same time, the novel explores the society, family, class and gender.
“…Bagchi’s novel, a post-colonial saga that unfolds over three generations, adroitly explores human relationships, and the intertwining of fates and cultures in a thoroughly Indian context. The novel’s amazing attention to details, the inventive use of language, and its memorable well defined characters make it an outstanding read.”
– The DSC Prize
Title: Half The Night Is Gone
Author: Amitabha Bagchi
Publisher: Juggernaut
Available: Amazon
About the Author
Amitabha Bagchi (Delhi) is a novelist and has several novels to his credit. His first novel Above Average was a bestseller, the second one The Householder garnered critical appreciation, and This Place, was shortlisted for the Raymond Crossword Book Award in 2014.
About the DCS Prize
“The South Asian Literature Prize & Events Trust, which administers the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature, is focused on improving the quality of life in South Asian society. It believes that literature and education are crucial for the wellbeing of the people, and help create the opportunities that are required for life improvement. It highlights these issues by reaching out to different audiences through its various partnerships and initiatives. These include events revolving around charity work for the underprivileged, and literary forums to widen the conversation on South Asian writing.
The DSC Prize celebrates the rich and varied world of literature in this region and promotes the achievements of South Asian writers as well as writers of any ethnicity writing about South Asia and its many diasporas.
The DSC Prize carries an award of US $25,000 and over the last eight years, the prize has generated tremendous response in international literary forums.”
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