Dhahan Prize 2017 winners for Best Punjabi Fiction: Pargat Singh Satoj, Ali Anwar Ahmad and Nachhattar Singh Brar

THE Dhahan Prize for Punjabi Literature for 2017 for excellence in the Punjabi literary community was announced on Thursday:

* First Prize of $25,000: Khabar Ik Pind Di (News From A Village), novel by Pargat Singh Satoj (Punjab, India)

* $5,000 prize in Shahmukhi Script: Tand Tand Maili Chaadar (Filthy Chador (Sheet)), short story collection by Ali Anwar Ahmad (Punjab, Pakistan)

* $5,000 prize in Gurmukhi script: Paper Marriage (Kaagzi Viaah), novel by Nachhattar Singh Brar (Surrey, British Columbia, Canada)

Pargat Singh Satoj

The Dhahan Prize promotes Punjabi literature on a global scale by awarding $25,000 annually to the best book of fiction published in either Gurmukhi or Shahmukhi scripts, along with two additional finalist prizes of $5,000.

In addition, Coast Capital Savings is the presenting sponsor for the first-ever Dhahan Youth Awards.  The Dhahan Prize panel, in partnership with BC secondary schools, announced that the 2017 winners for these awards have been chosen. The contest was open to all British Columbia grades 11 and 12 high school students for short stories written in Punjabi and translated into English. Only one winner was announced on Thursday: Karandeep Kular. The other winners will be announced at the November 4 Prize Award Ceremony


Ali Anwar Ahmad

“The 2017 Dhahan Prize recipients are impressive and influential personalities in the world of Punjabi literature. Their stories and characters are colorful and captivating. Each book is an excellent contribution to Punjabi literature, language and culture,” said Barj S. Dhahan, founder of the Dhahan Prize.

The Dhahan Prize is the largest literary award celebrating the rich history of the Punjabi language.  The prize aims to inspire the creation of Punjabi literature across borders, bridging Punjabi communities around the world, and promoting Punjabi literature on a global scale. The awards garner critical acclaim and significant exposure for aspiring writers, setting the stage for its select winners to secure international projects that will also reach broader multilingual audiences.


 Nachhattar Singh Brar

The Dhahan Prize Youth Awards is a unique initiative to encourage the youth of B.C. to embrace the rich Punjabi culture of the generations of families who have immigrated to Canada, specifically in British Columbia, through creative writing in the Punjabi language. Through the writings of the participants, in Punjabi and English, a greater understanding will be created among the youth of British Columbia, thus building bridges between people and communities of various ethnicities.

The Dhahan Prize was established in Vancouver, British Columbia, where the Punjabi people, language and culture have a rich history.  Punjabi is now the third-most spoken language in Canada and is a strong thread in the multicultural fabric of the nation. The prize has been

Karandeep Kular

established by the Canada India Education Society in partnership with the Department of Asian Studies in the Faculty of Arts at University of British Columbia, and is currently funded by an endowment from Barj and Rita Dhahan, and family and friends.

Barj Dhahan