New Delhi, Jul 28 (IANS): "Immortals of Meluha" by Amish Tripathi, Ruskin Bond's "Mr Oliver's Diary" and Upamanyu Chatterjee's "Way to Go" are amongst the 30 books shortlisted for the Vodafone-Crossword Book Awards for 2010.
The list was announced by a panel of writers and publishers in the capital Wednesday.
The books, diverse in sensibilities, showcase the emerging spirit of creative innovation, the new economic awareness and the rich tradition of Indian spiritual and cultural legacy that makes contemporary Indian literature distinct from its counterparts in the West, said Chandrasekhar Navalkar, CEO of Crossword Bookstore.
The five titles in the fiction category are -- "Swarasati Park" by Anjali Joseph, "The Quarantine Papers" by Kalpish Ratna, "Jimmy, the Terrorist" by Omair Ahmad, "The Crimson Throne" by Sudhir Kakar and "Way to Go".
The non fiction list, a blend of finance, science and biography, consists of "Fault Lines: How Hidden Fractures Still Threaten the World Economy" by Raghuraman G. Rajan, "Known Turf" by Annie Zaidi, "Memories of Rolling Stone" by Vina Mazumdar, the "Tell-Tale Brain Unlocking the Mystery of Human Nature" by V.S. Ramachandran and "The Lone River: On the Trail of the Swarasati" by Michel Danino.
Ruskin Bond's "Mr Oliver's Diary" tops the list of children's books nominations with "The Book of Guardians: The Fang of Summoning" by Giti Chandra, "Shayadri Adventures (two titles)" by Deepak Dalal, "Koni: The Story of a Champion" and "At Least a Fish" by Anushka Ravishankar also running for the prize slot.
The translations shortlist, a pan-Indian showcase, includes "The Golden Gandhi: Statue from America- Early Story" by Subimal Misra, "Mansarovar" by Ashokamitran, "That is Not Dawn" by Yashpal, "Litanies of a Dutch Battery" by N.S. Madhavan and "The House with Five Courtyards" by Govind Mishra.
The awards carry a purse of Rs.3 lakh.
A new category -- Popular Award -- with 10 fiction and non-fiction titles shortlisted on the strength of their monthly sale in 2010 has been introduced for the first time this year. The list includes bestsellers like "The Immortals of Meluha", "Chanakya's Chant", "Johnny Gone Down", "Dork" and "You Can Sell".
"The winner of this category will be chosen by popular votes," Navalkar said. The winner will be given Rs.1 lakh.
"Voting will open online Aug 1 and close by end of August," Navalkar said. The awards will be presented in Mumbai Sep 2.
One of the most prestigious literary prizes in India, the Vodafone Crossword Book Award was instituted in 1998.