Surrey, B.C., August 18, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Three authors have been named finalists for the 2026 Dhahan Prize for Punjabi Literature, competing for a combined CAD $51,000 in prize money and recognition among the leading honours for Punjabi fiction written in the Gurmukhi and Shahmukhi scripts.
The winner will be announced at the Dhahan Prize award ceremony on November 18 at Northview Golf & Country Club in Surrey, British Columbia.
The 2026 winner will receive CAD $25,000, while the two other finalists will each receive CAD $10,000. An additional CAD $6,000 will support the transliteration of the three recognised books into Gurmukhi or Shahmukhi, helping make the works accessible to Punjabi readers worldwide.
The finalists were announced on August 18 at Surrey Libraries’ Newton branch. They were selected from 58 eligible submissions received from Canada, India, Pakistan, Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom.
The three finalists are:
- Amber Hosseini, from Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan, for her Shahmukhi novel Nawan Pind (New Village).
- Akmal Shazad Ghuman, from Islamabad, Pakistan, for his Shahmukhi novel Parchhawan (Shadow).
- Rajpreet Kaur Benipal, from Khanna, Punjab, India, for her Gurmukhi short-story collection Qabran Vich Ugge Phull (Flowers Growing in a Graveyard).
“For 14 years, we’ve been celebrating the writers who are shaping the future of Punjabi literature,” said Barj S. Dhahan, primary founder of the prize.
“These finalists represent the creativity and diversity of Punjabi fiction as it evolves in our time. Their stories demonstrate the strength of a literary tradition that continues to connect readers across the world,” he added.
Established in 2013, the Dhahan Prize for Punjabi Literature has emerged as a prominent international honour for Punjabi fiction in both Gurmukhi and Shahmukhi scripts.
The prize was founded in Vancouver, reflecting British Columbia’s longstanding connection with Punjabi language, culture and communities. Punjabi is the third most spoken non-official language in Canada, according to the 2021 Census.
The prize is awarded by the Canada India Education Society (CIES) and was established in partnership with the Department of Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia (UBC).
The prize is currently supported by Barj and Rita Dhahan, along with their family and friends. The Royal Bank of Canada Foundation is the presenting sponsor, while corporate sponsors include Harj & Darshan Grewal of RBC Dominion Securities, G.L. Smith Planning & Design, Tim Hortons and others.
The three finalists will now travel to Vancouver for the November 18 awards ceremony, where the 2026 Dhahan Prize winner will be announced.
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