Zara Chowdhary Wins Final Shakti Bhatt Award for Powerful Memoir

New Delhi: In a significant literary event, Zara Chowdhary has been awarded the prestigious 2025 Shakti Bhatt Award for her first book, a memoir titled The Lucky Ones. This win is particularly notable as it marks the final time the award will be given. Chowdhary, a writer, producer, and educator from Chennai, has penned a powerful and deeply personal story in The Lucky Ones.

The book delves into the lasting effects of family trauma, specifically documenting a three-month period of intense sectarian violence in her hometown of Ahmedabad during the 2002 Gujarat riots. At just 16 years old at the time, Chowdhary’s account offers a raw glimpse into a family grappling with their own struggles amidst the larger historical upheaval of India.

The Shakti Bhatt Foundation announced that the award, which has celebrated South Asian literature for 17 years, will be discontinued after this year. The foundation expressed satisfaction in ending the prize by honoring a debut author, just as it began in 2008.

Over the years, the award recognized diverse voices from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and across India, initially focusing on first books before expanding to celebrate a writer’s entire body of work.

The prize’s success was made possible by the support of prominent figures like senior journalist TJS George, journalist Sheela Bhatt, Professor Thomas Kailath, and author Arshia Sattar. Previous winners include notable authors such as Mohammed Hanif, Tony Joseph, and Anand Teltumbde. Zara Chowdhary’s win not only highlights her exceptional talent but also brings to a close a significant chapter in South Asian literary recognition.

Image: Crown and Caitlin M. Carlson