Coetzee, Moore get awards but Rushdie surfaces to steal the show

For the best book prize, the contending regional winners were Coetzee, Lily Brett from Australia for Too Many Men, Shauna Singh Baldwin from Canada for What the Body Remembers and Salman Rushdie for The Ground Beneath her Feet from the Eurasia region.

Those contending for the Best First Book Prize were Funso Aiyejina from Africa (The Legend of the Rockhills), Kapka Kassabova from New Zealand for Reconnaissance, Moore for Prisoner of the Red Rose Chain and from the Eurasian region, the The Indian Express deputy-editor Raj Kamal Jha for The Blue Bedspread.

The judges who had a hard time deciding were Professor Kofi Anyidoho for Africa; Kevin Baldeosingh for Caribbean and Canada, Prof Valentine Cunningham for Eurasia and Kateryna Longey for South East Asia and South Pacific.

In the dinner table, Rushdie and his 27-year-old son, Zafar, sat next to his fellow contender Shauna Baldwin and media critic Amita Malik. Rushdie and Baldwin were the only two contenders from their category present on the occasion. Just before the awards were announced, Rushdie told The Indian Express on his chances of winning – "I have absolutely no idea but Coetzee has a habit of winning by not showing up!"

At the all-important moment, the chair of the judging panel Shashi Deshpande said that it was wonderful to welcome all the authors to a country of such ancient and vast literature. "They are all such varied voices but such shared concerns," said Deshpande.

Before announcing Moore as the winner of the Best First Book, Deshpande pointed out that he had been influenced by the ancient Indian writer Kalidas. "I was intrigued and looked up the Sanskrit dictionary to trace the Sanskrit word for love," she said. She described the book as "a confident, original and innovative novel".

Moore, not losing his quirky sense of humour, said – "I want to thank Salman Rushdie for making the special trip to see me win this award. Before this the only award I have won is that for best attendance at Sunday School!"

There was an audible sigh when the Best Book Award went to J M Coetzee for Disgrace which Deshpande described as "one of the most remarkable novels of our time!" Rushdie after having a sip of his water, applauded when a High Commission official from South Africa received the award.

On how he felt, Rushdie told The Indian Express: "I am not the most elated as I have ever been!"

Jury member Baldeosingh told The Indian Express that it was very difficult and the jury was split on the decision between Coetzee and Rushdie.