Writer’s Side author Mihir Vatsa’s non-fiction debut, Tales of Hazaribagh: An Intimate Exploration of Chhotanagpur Plateau has been awarded the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2022 in English.

Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar (Author of The Adivasi Will Not Dance) describes Vatsa’s book as “a book that will be remembered” and his writing as having “three components that are vital for writing about a place and its people: love, earnestness and humility.”

“[R]ead this book and enjoy a new form of non-chauvinistic, deeply immersive writing. Find a place in India that is neither too beautiful nor too popular, but is always interesting,” says Neha Sinha in The Hindu.

The three-member jury for the award selected Vatsa’s travelogue by majority, out of a shortlist of seven literary works from different genres ranging from novels to poetry and illustration.

The Yuva Puraskar is arguably the most important award for young writers in India. Past winners include the likes of Raghu Karnad, Manu Pillai, Tanuj Solanki, Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar and Janice Pariat.