Prizes, Literature and Culture: A Critical Study of Hegemony, Marketism and Institutional Distortion

The world of awards is anything but level; it's saturated in power, money and political influence. Although Western cultural hegemony and neo-colonialism seem to be prevailing, in Asia and India awards have often been used as tools of state power, as harbingers of ideological confrontation and political jousting, as the 'Award Wapsi' (returning of awards) in Japan and India shows. Conversely, the Kathmandu-centric elite – dominance, factionalism and access to power – have become the chief determinants of who gets an award and who doesn't in the context of Nepal. Modern awards encourage writers to create, but that encouragement is neither fair nor entirely independent. To receive an award, writers are forced to write within the boundaries or limits set by the market, the government, or large institutions. If the prize is not pure, fair and honest, it insults the true writer, encourages flatterers and disappoints the reader. Therefore, if the prize is to be given truly for the good of literature, it must be taken out of the game of flattery, business and access.