The New India Foundation has been supporting the research and writing of works of non-fiction on various aspects of post-Independence India for several years now, giving out fellowships every two years. The Book Fellowship has just opened for applications for its 12th edition.
Each fellow will be awarded an annual stipend of Rs 18 lakh, besides editorial guidance through from proposal to publishers to actual publication. Open only to Indian nationals, including those currently living abroad, these Fellowships are awarded for a period of one year.
From a pool of about 25 shortlisted proposals, the jury awards a maximum of 10 fellowships every two years. Proposals could, for instance, be for memoirs, works of reportage, academic studies. The books could be oriented towards economics, politics, or culture. Along with a book proposal, the applicant will also have to submit a writing sample of at least 5,000 words through the website before December 31, 2024.
Recent publications under the New India Foundation Book Fellowship include:
Neha Dixit’s The Many Lives of Syeda X: The Story of an Unknown Indian (Juggernaut 2024)
Sohini Chattopadhyay’s The Day I Became a Runner: A Women’s History of India through the Lens of Sport (HarperCollins 2023)
Arupjyoti Saikia’s The Quest for a Modern Assam: A History (1942-2000) (Penguin 2023)
Abhishek Choudhary’s Vajpayee: The Ascent of the Hindu Right, 1924-1977 (PanMacmillan 2023)
Manoj Mitta’s Caste Pride: Battles for Equality in Hindu India (Westland 2023)
Savithri Preetha Nair’s Chromosome Woman, Nomad Scientist (Routledge 2023)
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