Literary Chromosome: Amitav Ghosh Wins Korea’s Prestigious Pak Kyongni Prize, Joining Elite Circle of Novelists

Indian American novelist Amitav Ghosh has been awarded the 2025 Pak Kyongni Prize, one of Asia’s most prestigious literary honors, for “expanding the frontiers of postcolonial and ecological literature and for giving voice to subaltern subjects, including nature itself,” according to Scroll.in.

The award, which comes with a $100,000 prize, places Ghosh among an elite group of international writers recognized by South Korea’s Toji Cultural Foundation for their lifetime contributions to world literature.

The Pak Kyongni Prize was established by the Toji Cultural Foundation in 2011, with financial support of Wonju City and Gangwon-do Provincial Government, to commemorate the late Pak Kyongni. Often referred to as “Korea’s Nobel Prize in Literature,” it is Korea’s very first international award for writers from around the world and annually honors one novelist who has not only dedicated to upholding the virtue and raison d’être inherent in literature but made an ever-lasting impact in the literature of the world.

Ghosh’s selection as the 14th recipient follows his nomination as a finalist alongside Egyptian writer Salwa Bakr and Irish author John Banville. The judging committee conducted a review of writers from around the world starting in September 2025, according to The Korea Herald.

Ghosh’s Literary Legacy

The 68-year-old author of “The Calcutta Chromosome” is celebrated for his sweeping historical novels that blend postcolonial themes with environmental concerns. Ghosh’s ambitious novels use complex narrative strategies to probe the nature of national and personal identity, particularly of the people of India and South Asia. He has written historical fiction and non-fiction works discussing topics such as colonialism and climate change.

The citation specifically recognizing Ghosh’s ecological literature reflects growing global awareness of climate change themes in contemporary fiction.

His most acclaimed works include “The Ibis Trilogy” (comprising “Sea of Poppies,” “River of Smoke,” and “Flood of Fire”), which explores the opium trade’s impact on colonial India and China. Ghosh is hailed for sprawling epics like The Ibis Trilogy, melding environmental urgency with postcolonial history, according to The Lagos Review.

In a social media post, Ghosh expressed his appreciation for the honor, stating he was “thrilled and honored to be awarded the Pak Kyongni Prize by South Korea’s Toji Foundation. It is a profound privilege to be a successor to writers like Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Antonia Byatt and Ismail Kadare, and to be associated with the memory of Pak Kyongni, South Korea’s most” celebrated novelist.

Ghosh joins a prestigious list of past winners that reflects the prize’s international scope and literary significance. Previous winners include Choi In-hun (Korea, 2011), Ludmila Ulitskaya from Russia, and other notable authors including Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o from Kenya, A.S. Byatt from Britain, and Albanian writer Ismail Kadare. Most recently, French writer Sylvie Germain was named the recipient of the 13th Pak Kyongni Prize in 2024, according to The Korea Herald.

The Prize’s Significance

The award’s timing is particularly notable given the recent international attention on Korean literature. In 2024, South Korean author Han Kang won the Nobel Prize in Literature, becoming only the second Korean Nobel laureate after former President Kim Dae-jung, who received the Peace Prize in 2000.

The Pak Kyongni Prize honors the memory of its namesake, Pak Kyongni (1926-2008), who was considered South Korea’s most influential female novelist. Her epic 21-volume work “Toji” (The Land) is regarded as a masterpiece of Korean literature, chronicling the lives of multiple generations through Korea’s tumultuous 20th century.

The citation specifically recognizing Ghosh’s ecological literature reflects growing global awareness of climate change themes in contemporary fiction. His non-fiction works, including “The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable,” have been influential in discussions about how literature can address environmental crises.

This story was aggregated by AI from several news reports and edited by American Kahani’s News Desk.