Leela Samson is the jury chair of this coveted literary award

Celebrated Bharatanatyam dancer and actress Leela Samson has been announced as the jury chair of The

JCB Prize for Literature

, a coveted literary award, for this year. The panel, which will be chaired by Leela Samson, also comprises

Aruni Kashyap

(writer and translator), Tejaswini Niranjana (professor, cultural theorist, and author),

Ramu Ramanathan

(playwright and director), and

Deepika Sorabjee

(head of the Arts & Culture portfolio at Tata Trusts).

A source says, “Leela Samson, former chairperson of Sangeet Natak Akademi, is a sensitive interpreter of the nuances of Bharatanatyam. Spanda, a body of work choreographed by her 20 years ago, is still celebrated for its innovations in Bharatanatyam traditions. She is also the author of Rhythm in Joy and Rukmini Devi – a life. The former director of Kalakshetra has received many awards for her work and contribution to the arts, including the Padmashri Award. She has also acted in films like OK Kanmani, OK Jaanu, Adithya Varma, and Sillu Karupatti, and has served as CBFC chairperson. She has now been announced the Jury Chairman of The JCB Prize for Literature.”

The jury will announce the longlist of 10 titles on September 1, followed by the shortlist of five titles on September 25. The winner will be announced at the awards ceremony on November 7.

Leela Samson says, “We hope the prize will encourage readers to look at India’s vast literary culture - in translation, in Indian languages, and in English with renewed excitement.”