Meet the 2023 Winners of the South Asia Book Award!
The Moon from Dehradun: A Story of Partition
In 1947, Azra and her family took an unforgettable train ride from Dehradun to Lahore, leaving her home and her beloved doll behind. Throughout her journey, Azra draws hope and resilience as she sees the same moon each night amidst the ever changing landscape. (Grades PK-4)
Thirst
Most people in Mumbai live with limited access to water, with frequent shortages. In contrast, the affluent live above, in high-rise buildings with unrestricted water access. This disparity instigates numerous questions for Minni, as she searches for justice to bridge these inequalities. (Grades 5-6)
American Fever
On her first journey away from home, sixteen-year-old Hira experiences many unfamiliar situations, including the threat of tuberculosis. Through it all, Hira faces her own misconceptions about America while dealing with Islamophobia from her new friends and host family in Oregon. (Grades 10-12)
Meet the Winning Authors!
Varsha Bajaj
Varsha Bajaj is the New York Times bestselling author of the middle grade novel, Thirst, Count Me In, and Abby Spencer goes to Bollywood, which was shortlisted for the Cybils Award and included in the Spirit of…
Shirin Shamsi
Shirin Shamsi’s family left India during the Partition. Having lived on three continents, she views herself as a global citizen and now spends her time sharing stories with children of the world. Shirin and her…
Tarun Lak
Tarun Lak has been a professional animator since 2016 and is currently an animator at Pixar Animation Studios. He started as an intern for Laika’s Kubo and the Two Strings and went on to animate at Sony…
Dur e Aziz Amna
Dur e Aziz Amna is from Rawalpindi, Pakistan, and now lives in Newark, USA. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Financial Times, and Al Jazeera, among others. She was selected as Forbes 30 Under 30…
