Images from 2015-2025: Dutt Memorial Award For Literary Excellence
Awards
Three cash awards will be given to recognize outstanding works written in English:
- First prize will be RM 1500.
- Two other prizes of RM 750 each will be awarded for Honorable Mentions.
- Copyright will remain with the author.
Previous Years Winners
2015 Winner:
The Tryouts by Hanna Alkaf
Runners-Ups:
- Big Balls by Marc de Faoite
- Princess of Lumut by Saras Manickam
- Dash by Tina Isaacs
2016 Winner:
Trail by Bathmaloshanee M
Runners-Ups:
- Appa’s Mutton Curry by Sumitra Selvaraj
- Bird by Ling Low
2017 Winner:
Charan by Saras Manickam
Runners-Ups:
- Yama Takes a Drive By Sharmilla Ganesan
- Antecessor by Marc de Faoite
Champion Fellas
This collection represents the best stories entered for the D.K. Dutt Award for Literary Excellence in 2015, its inaugural year. There are also pieces by veteran sports writer Tony Mariadass and journalist Rehman Rashid, as well as an essay by Lionel Yew.
Bitter Root Sweet Fruit
Theme for the 2016 D.K. Dutt Award for Literary Excellence was knowledge and education and Bitter Root Sweet Fruit pulls together the best stories submitted for the competition.
Endings & Beginnings
Endings and Beginnings was the theme for the 2017 D.K. Dutt Award for Literary Excellence. New beginnings grow out of endings and here are Malaysian stories of characters whose life is changed by loss or failure,
Success Stories
2015 Winner: Hanna Alkaf
Hanna Alkaf’s writing journey began with the Dutt Award in 2015, leading her to secure representation with a New York literary agent and publish multiple books. A journalism graduate from Northwestern University, she has crafted a diverse body of work, including profiles, press releases, corporate annual reports, long-form investigative features, social media content, and email newsletters. Her writing has been featured in the Malaysian editions of Marie Claire, Esquire, Shape, Female, Her World, and more.
2017 Winner: Saras Manickam
Award-winning writer Saras Manickam won the 2019 Commonwealth Short Story Contest (Asia) for My Mother Pattu, later featured in The Art and Craft of Asian Stories (2021) and The Best of Malaysian Short Fiction in English 2010-2020 (2022). She also won the 2017 DK Dutt Award for Charan, and her work has appeared in Silverfish, Readings from Readings, and The Masters Review (2021 shortlist).
A former teacher, copywriter, and editor, Saras draws from diverse experiences to craft authentic stories. She lives and works in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
