Patiala Woman Is First Indian to Win Batsford Prize; Historical Novels

May

2026

An illustrator and author from Patiala, Anantjeet Kaur has won the prestigious Batsford Prize 2026 in the book illustration category, becoming the first Indian to receive this recognition. Anantjeet, who is currently pursuing a masters in Children’s Book Illustration at the Cambridge School of Art, London won the prize for her accordion book ‘Terrace Tales—A Celebration of Indian Rooftops’ Traditionally, an accordion is a book made from a continuous sheet of paper folded back and forth in a zigzag pattern just like the musical instrument accordion. Anantjeet’s illustrated, wordless book depicts life on rooftops in Indian households. She aims to build a body of work that speaks directly to children growing up in India and in the diaspora. She says, ‘I want to make inclusive books which are not just high quality, but also foster a joy of reading which is declining across the globe, but sadly even more in India.’ Anantjeet has published eight illustrated books for children, language learning, and children’s biography. These works include One Amazing Sikh at a Time, a celebrated collection of 51 stories about remarkable Sikhs across history and disciplines written in collaboration with author Seerat Kaur Gill. Additionally, a new book titled The Veil and the Sword: Women in the Court and Life of Maharaja Ranjit Singh by Ranjit Powar was released recently. Powar’s book brings into focus the women who shaped Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s life and influenced his decisions—his mother-in-law Rani Sada Kaur, who was instrumental in his rise and his wives Maharanis Mehtab Kaur, Datar Kaur, Jind Kaur, Moran Sarkar, and Gulbahar Begum. Furthermore, a new book Fourteen Springs of Separation by Chandigarh-based author Sakoon Singh bridges the gap between 19^th-century Sikh history with a contemporary search for identity. The book recounts the dramatic, heartbreaking story of Jind Kaur, the youngest wife of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, detailing her exile to Fort Chunar and her daring escape. It also touches upon her son, Maharaja Duleep Singh, and the tactics of imperial manipulation while juxtaposing the story with a 20-year-old graphic novelist Mehr from Chandigarh who stumbles upon Jind Kaur's story and resolves to uncover her unrecorded history (earlier coverage).