VANCOUVER, British Columbia Indian American scholars were among the prominent honorees at the 2026 awards presented by the Association for Asian Studies, earning recognition for translation and original research spanning South Asian politics and Bengali literature.
Two translators, Sipra Mukherjee and Mrinmoy Pramanick, received the A.K. Ramanujan Prize for Translation for their work on I Belong to Nowhere, written by Bengali poet Kalyani Thakur Charal and published by Tilted Axis Press. The annual prize honors outstanding translations from South Asian languages into English, celebrating both literary craft and cultural bridge-building.
Mukherjee and Pramanick’s translation brings Charal’s powerful, socially conscious poetry to a broader readership. Charal, known for centering marginalized voices in Bengal, explores caste, belonging and identity. The translators’ work was praised for preserving the emotional force and linguistic nuance of the original Bengali while making the text accessible to English-language audiences.
An honorable mention in the same category went to Shalim M. Hussain for Again I Hear These Waters, also published by Tilted Axis Press. Hussain’s work similarly highlights the vibrancy of contemporary South Asian literature in translation, reflecting a growing appetite in the United States for regional voices rendered with care and precision.
Another honorable mention recognized Tony K. Stewart for Needle at the Bottom of the Sea: Bengali Tales from the Land of the Eighteen Tides, published by University of California Press. Stewart’s volume delves into premodern Bengali storytelling traditions, expanding understanding of the region’s literary history.
Read: Four Indian American students named Schwarzman Scholars
In a separate honor from the South Asia Council, Nomaan Hasan of Brown University received the Graduate Student Paper Prize for his paper, “The Political Normativity of Temporal Forms in Contemporary India.” His research examines how concepts of time shape political thought and practice in modern India, offering a theoretical lens on governance and democratic culture.
Hasan’s recognition underscores the role of emerging Indian American scholars in shaping academic conversations about South Asia. Graduate student paper prizes are awarded for exceptional research presented at the AAS annual conference, one of the largest gatherings of Asian studies scholars worldwide.
Together, the awardees represent a cross-section of Indian American intellectual engagement from translating Bengali poetry and folklore to interrogating the philosophical dimensions of Indian political life. Their work not only advances scholarship but also strengthens cultural connections between South Asia and the United States, reflecting the growing influence of diasporic scholars in American academia.