Udaipur, November 2, 2024 - Author of Udaipur origin, Arefa Tehsin’s book, The Witch in the Peepul Tree has been nominated for the Godrej Literature Live! Literary Awards for Fiction, Non-Fiction and Business in the Fiction Book of the Year category. The awards are one of the highlights of Godrej Literature Live! The Mumbai Litfest and to be a part of it is a proud moment for any writer. The winner will be announced at the Festival’s finale on November 17.

The longlists have been announced in five categories for the 2024 book awards. Through the recognition, Godrej Literature Live aims to recognise and encourage literary talent among both established and new writers.

The following books have been selected for the award in the Fiction Book of the Year category:

1. History’s Angel by Anjum Hasan (Bloomsbury India)

2. Hurda by Atharva Pandit (Bloomsbury India)

3. Loot by Tania James (Penguin Random House India)

4. The Lady on the Horse and Other Secrets by Ramona Sen (Speaking Tiger)

5. The Memoirs of Valmiki Rao by Lindsay Pereira (Penguin Random House India)

6. The Witch in the Peepul Tree by Arefa Tehsin (HarperCollins Publishers)

The Witch in the Peepul Tree is Tehsin’s first novel for adults and was published by HarperCollins. It was shortlisted for The Asian Prize for Fiction 2023. The fiction is based on the Bohrawadi of 1950. Bohrawadi is an area in Udaipur city (Rajasthan) where back then Bohra families resided, and still do. The book is a murder mystery and revolves around the intriguing death of the 16-year-old Sanaz on the auspicious day of Makar Sankranti. Through the shroud of the suspense surrounding the death, Tehsin examines the socio-economic schism of the 1950s India highlighting power, caste, privilege and control.

Tehsin has her roots in Udaipur although she is now settled in Sri Lanka. She is the daughter of the renowned naturalist and wild life conservationist Dr Raza H. Tehsin. Therefore, it is no wonder that Arefa grew up treading jungles with her father, learning to love Nature, exploring caves and getting into close encounters with snakes. She also served as an honorary Wildlife Warden of Udaipur district.

The writer describes herself as “author, junglee, traveller, sleepless dreamer.” She is the author of 19 books, both fiction and non-fiction and for children and adults. Her niche is nature conservation and she contributes columns, features and travel articles to publications like Conde Nast Traveller, The Indian Express, The Hindu, Deccan Herald, Scroll.in, Outlook Money and more.

Tehsin’s other books include The Charm Chasers, Amra and the Witch, Wild in the Backyard, The Elephant Bird, Do Tigers Drink Blood and 13 Other Mysteries of Nature, Iora and the Quest of Five.

At the Godrej Literature Live! Literary Awards, the jury for fiction comprises Deepa Adhikari, social entrepreneur and development communications consultant; Priyanka Sarkar, editor and translator; Rajrishi Singhal, author and journalist; Usha Subramaniam, former Professor of English Literature; and Shireen Mistry, associate festival director of Literature Live! The Mumbai Litfest.