Goal:

The main objective of the Bapsi Sidhwa Literary Prize is to recognize the literary production of works by Zoroastrian authors. We seek to celebrate the accomplishments of Bapsi Sidhwa with this prize and honor literary expressions that represent the rich characters, setting, laughter, and thoughtful topics found in her novels and essays.

Submissions and Deadlines 

The Bapsi Sidhwa Literary Prize will be awarded to writers of fiction. Novels and collections of short stories will be accepted. All works should be originally in English. Submissions are accepted only from Zoroastrian authors.

The Prize will be awarded biennially. Works must be published between January 2020, and January 2022, for the 2022 award. Each submission must be accompanied by the Application Form below.

Authors must be 18 or older. Submissions must include one copy of the book. Submissions must be first editions. In addition, a digital copy is required to share with the jury for adjudication. Digital copies will only be made available to the judges adjudicating the prize. Hard copies will not be returned and will be placed in our library. Reviews and endorsement letters can accompany applications but are not required. Each submission must be the work of a single author. No co-authored books, edited books or anthologies will be accepted. Self-published books will not be eligible.

Submission of hard copy with application and fee must be sent or delivered in a sealed package to the following address:

FIRES/ZAH

526 Woodbend Lane

Houston, Texas 77079

A digital copy should be sent to info@fires-fezana.org. Contact Aban (aban@coatingindustries.com) or Jangoo (jbmistry@gmail.com) for any questions concerning the prize.  Submissions must be received no later than February 1, 2022, for the 2022 award.

Selection and Adjudication

For this category, a panel of judges will select finalists and then choose the winner. The organizers of the Prize and the judges will not be responsible for issues arising from any alleged plagiarism among the finalists and the winning work. In the case of insufficient or inadequate entries, the prize will not be assigned in that year. The decision of the finalists and winner by the managing organizations and the judges is final.

The winner will receive $ 2,000 and a trophy. All the participants are invited to attend an award ceremony (TBA). Finalists and winner will be announced in our press release before the award ceremony. The winner is encouraged to attend or to delegate a person of their choice to accept the prize.

Background and History

The Bapsi Sidhwa Literary Prize has been established by the Library Committee of the Zoroastrian Association of Houston (ZAH), home of the FEZANA Information Research and Education System (FIRES). FIRES is a centralized collection of books, manuscripts, literature, magazines, and scholarly research materials in print and electronic form, primarily pertaining to Zarathushti faith, culture, and history. FIRES was established in 2010 and is housed and managed by the ZAH Library.

FIRES and ZAH are the sole managers and organizers of the Bapsi Sidhwa Literary Prize. The Bapsi Sidhwa Literary Prize honors and promotes the work of Zoroastrian writers who share the same enthusiasm to represent the worlds and people found in Sidhwa’s novels and essays. The Prize is named after the first recognized Zoroastrian writer from Pakistan of Parsi descent. Bapsi Sidhwa was born in Karachi in 1936 and lived in Houston, Texas for many years as a Pakistani writer with an international reputation. She was considered by Faiz Ahmed Faiz as the precursor to representing Parsis in literature, stating that “Bapsi Sidhwa’s study of some archetypal characters of her community -the Parsis – deserves more than praise both as a sociological and as a literary document….Bapsi Sidhwa has opened for us all the doors and all the windows of this world’s innermost recesses.”

 

 

BAPSI SIDHWA LITERARY PRIZE

2020 – 2022 APPLICATION FORM

 

 

Author (first and last name):  ___________________________________________________

Address:  ____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Phone: ___________________________________________

Email: ____________________________________________

Certification I, (print name clearly) _____________________________________________, certify that:

□ I am a Zoroastrian author over the age of 18

□ I am the author of this text submitted with this application

Work Submitted (title):  _______________________________________________________________

Name of Publisher:  __________________________________________________________________

Publication Date (MM, YYYY): ____________________

Reviews included with application (not required to apply):

Endorsement Letters included with application (not required to apply):

One copy of book: □ Included with application                   □ Will be mailed by publisher

A digital copy should be sent to info@fires-fezana.org. Contact Aban (aban@coatingindustries.com) or Jangoo (jbmistry@gmail.com) for any questions concerning the prize.  Submissions must be received no later than February 1, 2022, for the 2022 award.

I hereby authorize FIRES/ZAH and any of their directors, officers, or affiliates, to make such inquiries and investigations as they deem necessary to verify the information I have provided in this application. I understand that any information contained in this application that is determined by them to be untrue may invalidate my application and disqualify me from the Bapsi Sidhwa Literary Prize.

 

 

 

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