The man from Chinnamasta - in the news!

Indira Goswami in "Indian Booker" race

Writer Indira Goswami may have drawn criticism from several political quarters of late for her inability to bring the ULFA forward for talks but her writings continue to bring laurels as she has been short listed for a Hutch Crossword Book Award, billed as India's answer to the Booker. Goswami's "The Man from Chinnamasta", translated into English by Prashant Goswami from her Assamese work "Chinnamastar Manuhto", along with "In a Forest, a Deer" by C S Lakshmi and M Mukundan's "Kesavan' s Lamentations" are the three novels shortlisted in the Indian Language Fiction Translation category. The awards will be given away on February 21 in Mumbai.

Talking to PTI over phone from Guwahati, Indira said the shortlisting is a big boost for Assamese translators. "There was this notion that Assamese translators cannot make it to the big league but Prashant's effort negates that," she said.

Goswami wrote "The Man from Chinnamasta" to protest against the sacrifices at the Kamakhya temple. The temple is considered to be the greatest shrine of mystic Shaktism, one of the main religions of the state during the medieval period. Goswami said rituals are like diseases that affect the society. "This book deals with various aspects of rituals carried out at the temple including animal sacrifice," she said.

Read accounts of Katha's launch of "The man from Chinnamasta" at Delhi and Chennai.