Chandigarh, Nov. 15 -- Jalandhar-based Balbir Parwana has been awarded the 2025 Dhahan Prize for Punjabi fiction for his novel, Rauleyan Vele (In the Time of Unrest). The Richmond-based Dhahan Prize, set up in 2013, is the largest international literary award for fiction in Punjabi language and awards a total of $51,000 (Rs 32.26 lakh) in prize money. Parwana, the 12th annual winner, won $25,000 CAD (Rs 15.8 lakh) for the top prize, which was announced at a ceremony in Surrey, Canada, on November 13. A prolific writer, Parwana has written 15 novels to date, including Punjab Di Naxalbari Lehar, Amber Vall Udaan, Pind Da Dard and Pagadhi Sambahal Jatta. His Dhahan Prize-winning novel Rauleyan Vele follows a documentary filmmaker as he interviews elders about their personal stories surrounding the 1947 partition of Punjab. Parwana currently is the literary editor of the Punjabi newspaper Nawan Jamana. "This award has given my novel a new world of readers," said Parwana in a statement. "When I heard my name announced, I was filled with joy and excitement. I'm encouraged to keep creating." The Dhahan Prize also awards two finalists with $10,000 CAD (Rs 6.32 lakh) each. This year's finalists were Mudassar Bashir from Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, for the novel Precarious Shelter, and Bhagwant Rasulpuri of Jalandhar, with his short story collection Delivery Man. "I feel breathless. It is an honour. I love my mother tongue of Punjabi. With this award, I hope to continue my service to it," Bashir said. On his part, Rasulpuri said, "It is a big accomplishment to be named finalist. Now, my stories can break past the boundaries of the Punjabi language and reach readers of other languages as well." An additional $6,000 CAD (Rs 3.8 lakh) was awarded for the transliteration of the three books into Gurmukhi or Shahmukhi (the writing scripts used in Punjabi). Vancouver-based Dhahan Prize founder Barj S Dhahan said the mission of the awards is to "celebrate and elevate" Punjabi literature on a global stage. "By recognising powerful new tales in Punjabi fiction, we aim to inspire readers, support authors and strengthen cultural connections across borders," he added. Punjabi is now the third most spoken language in Canada, and is a strong thread in the multicultural fabric of the nation....