Sritama Sen’s ‘There Used to Be a Lake Here Once’ declared runner-up at Muse India Young Writer Awards 2024

We are happy to share that Sritama Sen’s There Used to Be a Lake Here Once has been adjudged runner-up in the Ambika Ananth Award for Poetry category of this year’s Muse India Young Writer Awards. The judges’ citation described their book as ‘at once exceptional, impactful, and rich in poetry’.

Says Sritama: “I am immensely grateful for this recognition, as it provides greater visibility to independently published queer and trans literature in India. I think this nomination really gave me hope for the future of trans queer writing in India, especially after years of being told that there is no market for narratives that aren’t too palatable. Thank you once again, both to the Muse India team and to Writers Workshop; I couldn’t have wished for a better reception for my debut poetry collection.”

We would also like to bring your attention to Riya Kartha’s Earthsongs and Vyshnavee Diwakar’s Delphic Diatribes, both of which were shortlisted for the poetry award as well. Congratulations to our poets!