New Delhi — July 22, 2026: Bestselling Indian author Ashwin Sanghi has been named the first-ever recipient of the JSW Prize in Literature, instituted by the Drukyul’s Literature and Arts Festival of Bhutan. He will be honoured at the festival’s 15th edition, held under this year’s theme, “The Art of Being Human.”
The JSW Prizes were conceived in 2025 to commemorate the 70th birth anniversary of Bhutan’s fourth king, Jigme Singye Wangchuck. The initiative aims to celebrate the power of creativity, culture, and ideas in enriching the shared human experience.
The inaugural prize will be conferred during the festival — also known as Bhutan Echoes, an annual international celebration of literature, culture, and art held in Thimphu — scheduled to run from August 1 to 3, 2026.
While the JSW Prizes are debuting in the fields of literature and the arts, organisers noted that the initiative has the potential to expand its scope over time, eventually honouring exceptional individuals worldwide for lifetime achievements or extraordinary bodies of work.
“I am profoundly honoured to receive the inaugural JSW Prize in Literature from Her Majesty the Queen Mother Gyalum Dorji Wangmo Wangchuk, someone I deeply admire. My life’s work rests on one belief: that popular fiction can be intellectually rich and culturally rooted without sacrificing the joy of story. To have that conviction recognised in Bhutan—a nation that has long held a place in my heart and has boldly made happiness a national mission—feels extraordinarily fitting.” —Ashwin Sanghi
“Through his remarkable body of work, Mr Sanghi brings together history, mythology, culture and contemporary thought, making complex ideas accessible to readers around the world. His ability to bridge the ancient and the modern, and scholarship with compelling storytelling, makes him a fitting first recipient of a Prize dedicated to celebrating the enduring power and significance of literature.” — Her Majesty the Queen Mother Gyalum Dorji Wangmo Wangchuk, Founder, Drukyul’s Literature and Arts Festival statement.
About Ashwin Sanghi
Ashwin Sanghi is the bestselling author of several historical and mythological thrillers, including The Rozabal Line, Chanakya’s Chant, The Krishna Key, The Sialkot Saga, Keepers of the Kalachakra, The Vault of Vishnu, and The Magicians of Mazda. His work is distinguished by its interweaving of history, mythology, and contemporary thought — an approach that has earned him a wide international readership.
