The AutHer Awards 2026 Shortlists for best women authors in Fiction, Non-Fiction, Children’s Literature, and Debut categories were announced today by a panel of eminent judges. The Times of India received roughly 3000 entries which were submitted by both publishers and individual authors for the prestigious award, the first of its kind in India.



The AutHer Awards is a joint venture between JK Paper and The Times of India. It celebrates women authors who have added value and creativity to the literary space. The jury considered books by women published in India between December 2024 and November 2025.



Here is a look at the authors and their books that made it to the AutHer Awards 2026 Shortlist under various categories (in random order):




















The jury for the AutHer Awards 2026 in different categories are:

1. Fiction: Manju Kapur, Sudeep Nagarkar, Kiran Manral

2. Non-fiction: Ravikant Kisana, Amrita Shah, Dr Radha Kumar

3. Debut: Soha Ali khan, Preeti Shenoy, Vasudhendra

4. Best children's literature: Nina Sabnani, Neil D'Silva, Zai Whitaker



Talking about the AutHer Awards 2026 shortlist, Jaya Bhattacharji Rose, Literary Director, AutHer Awards said, "Auther Awards 2026 is finally here! The shortlist is a fine selection of the diverse writing by Indian women writers. It is immaterial whether they reside within or outside the geographical boundaries of the Indian subcontinent; they are able to capture the zeitgeist of what it means to be an Indian – at the glocal level. There is a granularity in the literature that is magnificent. It is exhibited in the subject matter and a sophistication in their craft. It catapults them on to the world stage. There is something for every kind of reading palate. We hope you enjoy reading these books as much as the jurors have.”



The much-awaited AutHer Awards 2026 winners will be announced at a grand ceremony in New Delhi on March 22, 2026. Cash prizes will be given to the top winners in all four categories and a Lifetime Achievement Award will be given to a woman author for her lasting contribution in the field of literature. A winner in Best Manuscript category will also be announced at the event. A winner for Popular Choice Award based on online voting will also be announced.



For more details, log on to: https://autherawards.in/