Professor of Social Anthropology, Alpa Shah’s most recent book, The Incarcerations: BK-16 and the Search for Democracy in India has been shortlisted for the 2024 Moore Prize for Human Rights Writing. The Incarcerations pulls back the curtain on Indian democracy to tell the remarkable and chilling story of the Bhima Koregaon case, in which 16 human rights defenders and intellectuals – professors, lawyers, journalists, poets – have been imprisoned, without credible evidence and without trial. The book has been met with widespread acclaim, featuring in the New Statesman ‘Books of the year 2024’ list and the Financial Times ‘What to read in 2024’ list. It was also shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing 2024, marking Professor Shah’s second time as a finalist for this prestigious award.
The Moore Prize was established in 2015 to provide funds and recognition to authors who, through their work, contribute to the universality of human rights and to give a platform to human rights issues that are important in today’s societies. The winning book will be announced on Wednesday, 8 January 2025.
