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Tarun Tejpal closer to winning French literary award
Indo-Asian News Service

New Delhi, Sep 29 (IANS) Author-journalist Tarun J. Tejpal has moved one step closer to winning France's prestigious Prix Femina Etranger award for the best foreign novel with his debut work making it to a shortlist of eight.

The award, which has never been won by an Indian writer till now, involves a rigorous 11-member jury process that lasts for several months until the declaration of the winner in November and four selection lists. 

Tejpal, who edits the weekly newsmagazine Tehelka, had earlier been longlisted for his novel "Loin De Chandigarh (Far From Chandigarh)", which is the French translation of his "The Alchemy of Desire" in English, along with 13 other authors.

The announcement that it had made the shortlist of eight came Wednesday night. Among the authors who had fallen off the list are Peter Carey, Annie Proulx and Colm Toibin, whose "The Master" was shortlisted for the Booker last year.

Authors still in the running along with Tejpal are Allan Hollinghurst, Joyce Carol Oates, Cynthia Ozick, Russell Banks, Bernardo Carvalho, Nuala O'Faolain and Steven Carroll.

The Prix Femina was established in 1904, and the foreign novel category added in 1985.

The "Loin De Chandigarh" was released this month in France to rave reviews and is going into its third reprint. The novel is also being published in other languages such as Italian, Greek, Polish and Hindi.