Uma Nada-Rajah has been named winner of the first Kavya Prize, a new Scottish literary prize celebrating published work by Scottish writers of colour.
The playwright won the inaugural Kavya Prize for Toy, Plastic Chicken published by Salamander Street.
Uma Nada-Rajah said: “I am really touched (and still in shock!) to have been awarded the inaugural Kavya Prize.
“My respect to all of the organisers and contributors for nurturing a sense of community in the celebration of diverse Scottish voices. Congratulations to all the shortlisted writers.”
The Kavya Prize, in association with the University of Glasgow and founded by Indian-born Scottish author Leela Soma, seeks to recognise, and encourage writers of colour who are Scottish by birth, residence or formation.
The inaugural prize for full-length published works of fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry or short story collections was awarded by Leela Soma at Aye Write last Saturday.
Leela Soma said: “Congratulations to Uma Nada-Rajah, the winner of the Kavya Prize!
“Her playscript Toy Plastic Chicken is hard hitting, powerful and humourous, a difficult blend to achieve. She’s a worthy winner.
“In this, The Year of Scotland’s Stories 2022, the Kavya Prize has opened a new chapter for diverse voices to be heard.”
Kavya is a popular and well recognised word in Sanskrit and refers to a literary style or a completed body of literature that was used in Indian courts of the Maharajahs who nurtured the cultural arts in India.
The Kavya Prize 2022 featured a very strong shortlist of writers which, as well as Uma Nada-Rajah, also included:
- Katie Goh, writer and journalist – The End: Surviving the World Through Imagined Disasters (404 Ink);
- Hannah Lavery, poet and playwright – Lament for Sheku Bayoh (Salamander Street)
- David Onamade, a writer of poetry and prose, who sadly passed away in 2021 – Sorrow, Tears and Blood (Arkbound Publishing)
- Sean Wai Keung, writer and performance maker – Sikfan Glaschu (Verve Poetry Press)
- Lorraine Wilson, writer – This is Our Undoing (Luna Press)
