AutHer Awards 2025 celebrate Indian women writers in New Delhi

The AutHer Awards 2025 took place on March 21, 2025, at the Taj Palace in New Delhi. This event celebrated and honored exceptional Indian women writers. The awards are a project by JK Paper and The Times of India, focusing on recognizing authors in various literary categories. Geetanjali Shree, who won the International Booker Prize in 2022, was the Chief Guest for the ceremony. Actress and author Ila Arun served as the Guest of Honour. The winners were announced in several categories, including Fiction, Non-Fiction, Children’s Literature, and Debut Author. Additional awards included a Lifetime Achievement award and a Popular Choice award, determined through an online poll. Notable winners in the Fiction category were Tania James for "Loot" and Namita Gokhale for "Never Never Land." In Non-Fiction, Aruna Roy won for "The Personal Is Political," while Alpa Shah was honored for "The Incarcerations." Nayanima Basu received the Best Debut award for "The Fall Of Kabul." The Children’s Literature award was shared by Kripa for "Art Is A VoiceDevika" and Andaleeb Wajid for "The Henna Start-Up." The Popular Choice Award went to Astha Gill for "STM: Student-Teacher-Meet" and Divsargun Kaur for "Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji." Shanta Gokhale was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Tista Hijli also received the award for Best Manuscript for "Alchemy of Love." The selection process involved a jury that reviewed over 2,000 entries from authors and publishers. The jury consisted of literary experts from various fields. Jaya Bhattacharji Rose, the Literary Director, highlighted the diversity and creativity represented in the winning works. The AutHer Awards aim to promote and celebrate the literary contributions of women in India. This event marked its sixth year, continuing to inspire and support women writers across the country.