Q&A with Fathima E.V, Crossword Book Awards 2025 Jury: Inside a longlist that captures India’s diversity and dynamism

Fathima E.V, jury member for the Crossword Book Awards 2025, reflects on a year of translations that spanned classics and contemporary voices, forgotten histories and urgent social questions. In this conversation, she discusses what makes this year’s longlist both bold and evocative. 

Fathima E.V. is an acclaimed writer and translator from Kerala, and the co-recipient of the 2021 JCB Prize for Literature for ‘Delhi: A Soliloquy’ by M. Mukundan. Her debut translation, ‘A Preface to Man’ by Subash Chandran, won both the Crossword Prize for English Translation and the V. Abdulla Translation Award in 2017. She has also translated ‘Baby Doll: Stories of Gracy’ and poetry for ‘Indian Ink’, and was shortlisted for the inaugural “PEN Presents” UK translation grant in 2022.

The jury reads a huge number of submissions in a limited time. What was your approach to reading so widely and still giving each book its due?

Given the time constraint, managing the volume of submissions was indeed challenging. However, adopting a systematic approach did help in drawing up a preliminary list based on first impressions, which was then re-evaluated, focusing on themes, treatment, quality of translations, etc. When it came to consolidating individual lists, fortunately, the jury members were in agreement on most of the choices. Where opinions differed, further deliberation and comparative analysis helped us arrive at what we believe is a fair and representative longlist of this year's exciting translations.

If literature reflects its time, what did this year’s translation submissions tell you about the world we’re living in?
This year's submissions were astounding in their scope, diversity, and complexity, offering nuanced explorations of India's historical continuity and contemporaneity. The translations, including retranslations of classics and emerging voices, showcase the rich variety of regional cultures and literatures, as well as a promising set of creative translators. Notably, many of these books offered fresh takes on identity, community, forgotten histories, social justice, and environmental concerns, demonstrating literature's enduring power to capture the dynamics of an evolving society.

What was the toughest part of arriving at a longlist from such a wide range of submissions?
The toughest part was the heartache of letting go of strong contenders while narrowing down the list.

If you had to describe this year’s longlist in three words, what would they be?

Engaging, bold, and evocative!

What conversations do you think this year’s longlist adds to Indian literature, or even to our society at large?
The longlist attests to the vibrancy of Indian literature, inviting nuanced conversations on pressing social issues, contesting histories, and resonant human experiences that transgress set boundaries.

In a time of endless content, what do you think makes literature still worth turning to?
In an era of endless content and doomsday scrolling, literature remains compelling because it invites readers to pause, experience empathy, and discover familiarity in unfamiliar worlds, fostering a deeper understanding of ourselves and others.

What, to you, makes a book unforgettable?

The unforgettable ones are those that linger, haunt or provoke you long after the final page is turned. 

As a jury member, what advice would you give to aspiring Indian writers hoping to be recognized in the coming years?

Keep writing, reading and taking risks, while honing your craft. Talented translators will certainly amplify your voice, ensuring it resonates across languages.