Bena Sareen wins the 11th Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize

Oxford Bookstores honoured Bena Sareen with the 11th Book Cover Prize and unveiled the Art Book Prize 2026 longlist in Delhi.
on May 27, 2026

Oxford Bookstores announced Bena Sareen as the winner of the 11th edition of Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize at a celebratory event hosted by Ms. Priti Paul, Director Apeejay Surrendra Group and Dr. Alka Pande, Museum Curator, Art Historian, Author and Jury Chair at the India Habitat Centre. The evening also featured the unveiling of the longlist for the 4th Oxford Bookstore Art Book Prize, along with the exclusive launch of What if…WHY NOT? authored by H.E. Mr. Mohamed Maliki, The Ambassador of His Majesty the King of Morocco to India and published by Indie Press.

Bena Sareen was honoured for her exceptional cover design of My Beloved Life by Amitava Kumar, published by Aleph Book Company. She was awarded with a trophy, certificate, and a cash prize of INR 1 lakh. This marks her second win, having previously won the inaugural edition for her cover design of Talking of Justice by Leila Seth, also published by Aleph Book Company.

The award was presented by members of the jury comprising Dr. Alka Pande, Museum Curator, Art Historian, Author and Jury Chair; Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Author and Member of Parliament; Ms. Anja Riedeberger, Director Information Services South Asia Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan; Mr. Samar Jodha, Installation Artist, Mentor and TED Speaker.

Mr. Swagat Sengupta, CEO, Apeejay Oxford Bookstores presented the cheque to the winner in the distinguished presence of H.E Ms. May-Elin Stener, Ambassador of Norway to India, Sri Lanka and Bhutan, H.E. Mr. Mohamed Maliki, The Ambassador of His Majesty the King of Morocco to India; Ms. Apurva Kackar, Director, Institutional Affairs and Outreach, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) alongside designers, publishers, authors, artists, diplomats and literary enthusiasts from across the country.

Speaking at the ceremony, Bena Sareen, winner of the 11th Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize said, “Ten years ago when this award was instituted, it marked a long-awaited recognition of the art of book cover design. While our canvas is small, it is central to the life cycle of a book. A heartfelt thanks to the Oxford Bookstore and this incredibly distinguished jury for recognising and celebrating this art form. Oxford Bookstore was indeed the first to institute a cover prize; many others followed. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Aleph book Company for trusting my aesthetics over the years. Many thanks to Amitav Kumar for bringing the joy in the creation process of this cover with his fantastic novel. I’m honoured and thrilled to be the recipient of the 11th award.”

In addition to the winning cover, the jury also recognised two outstanding covers for their compelling visual language and innovative graphic expression. The honoured designers included Shadab Khan for ‘The Remains of the Body’ published by Vintage- an imprint of Penguin Random House; and Pinaki De for ‘Carnival’ published by Aleph Book Company.

As the Jury Chair, Dr. Alka Pande remarked, "As we celebrate the landmark 11th edition of the Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize, I am filled with immense pride in witnessing how this award has evolved into a powerful force in visual culture, bringing book designers from behind the scenes into the spotlight they deserve. This prize continues to shape and elevate the Indian publishing industry by recognizing book cover design as a masterful art form and honours its creative visionaries, who remained largely invisible despite their profound influence on how stories are perceived and remembered.

My heartfelt congratulations to Bena Sareen for taking home the prize yet again; a truly well-deserved victory after almost a decade. I also extend my wishes to the 16 outstanding titles longlisted for the 4th Oxford Bookstore Art Book Prize. Together, these two awards have significantly impacted the publishing landscape by encouraging innovation in book design, championing visual storytelling, and creating greater recognition and visibility for artistic excellence within the literary world.”.

The evening further marked the announcement of the longlist for the 4th Oxford Bookstore Art Book Prize. 16 longlisted titles were unveiled by jury members, Dr. Alka Pande, H.E Ms. May-Elin Stener and Ms. Apurva Kackar. The selected books were recognised by the distinguished jury panel for their artistic excellence, visual storytelling and overall design sensibility.

The celebrations wrapped up with Dr. Shashi Tharoor officially launching What if…WHY NOT? by The Ambassador of His Majesty the King of Morocco to India, H.E. Mr. Mohamed Maliki. The unveiling was followed by a captivating conversation about the book between the author, Dr. Shashi Tharoor and Dr. Alka Pande.

4TH OXFORD BOOKSTORE ART BOOK PRIZE LONGLIST

Title- From the Depth of the Mould: Meera Mukherjee (1923-1998), A Centenary Tribute

Publisher- Jadavpur University Press and Galerie 88

Editor- Tapati Guha-Thakurta

Title- A Treasury of Life: Indian Company Paintings c. 1790-1835

Publisher- DAG Pvt. Ltd.

Editor- Giles Tillotson

Title- Roop and the River Crossing (Picture Book)

Publisher- Puffin Books: An imprint of Penguin Random House India

Author-Samina Mishra

Illustrator- Shivam Choudhary

Title- Histories in the Making: Photographing Indian Monuments 1855-1920

Publisher- DAG Pvt. Ltd.

Editor- Sudeshna Guha

Title- The Big Book of Indian Art: An Illustrated History of Indian Art from Its Origins to the Present Day

Publisher- Aleph Book Company

Author/ Artist- Bina Sarkar Ellias

Title- The Little Book of Big Girl Things

Publisher- Penguin Random House India

Author/ Artist- Akshara Ashok

Title- Gardens of Delhi

Publisher- Niyogi Books

Author/ Artist- Swapna Liddle & Madhulika Liddle, Photographs by Prabhas Roy

Title- The Dandelions Have It

Publisher- Penprints Publication

Author/ Artist- Sohini Sen

Title- Kalakari: A Journey Through Indian Folk Art

Publisher- Pan Macmillan India

Author/ Artist- Simran Tapadia

Title- Longform 2025: An Anthology of Graphic Narratives

Publisher- Vintage: An imprint of Penguin Random House India

Editors-Pinaki De, Debkumar Mitra and Argha Manna

Title- Zoraver and the Lost Gods

Publisher- Bloomsbury Publishing India

Author-Abeer Kapoor

Illustrator- Ujan Dutta

Title- The Bird, a Bone and other Witnesses of a Museum Fire

Publisher- Prameya Art Foundation and Roli Books

Author/ Artist- Sahil Naik

Title- Ram Singh Urveti: Another Master

Publisher- Ojas Art

Editor- Anubhav Nath

Title- Dasa Mahavidya: Gesture, Form, and the Divine Feminine

Publisher- Ojas Art

Editor- Anubhav Nath

Title- The Boy Who Built A Secret Garden: Nek Chand (Dreamers Series)

Publisher- Duckbill Books: An imprint of Penguin Random House India

Author/ Artist- Lavanya Karthik

Title- Go Wild: Stories, Essays and Comics that Celebrate Our Earth (Anthology)

Publisher- Puffin Books: An imprint of Penguin Random House India

Curating Editor- Bijal Vachharajani

Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize is a first-of-its-kind honour for splendour in book design, and an endeavour by an iconic bookstore to perceive and empower the phenomenal work of artists, designers and distributors crosswise over India. The prize acknowledges the significance of the adjust of illustrations and story, especially in our undeniably visual age, and trusts that a book cover translates and interprets the resulting content in critical ways that add to its definitive achievement. Under the guidance of Ms. Priti Paul, Director, Apeejay Surrendra Group, Oxford Bookstores has been pushing all boundaries to encourage the publishing industry and celebrate the business of books. Standout cover design is an integral part of the success of a book, designers and illustrators play a vital role in helping a book become emblematic and create recall. The jury for the tenth edition of Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize comprises of author and Member of Parliament, Dr. Shashi Tharoor; author, columnist and novelist, Ms. Shobhaa De; author and academic, Dr. Kunal Basu; Museum curator, art historian, author and jury chair, Dr. Alka Pande; Director, Apeejay Surrendra Group and the creative force behind the Oxford Bookstore chain, Ms. Priti Paul and Guest Jurors, Installation Artist, Mentor, and TED speaker, Mr. Samar Jodha and Director Information Services South Asia Goethe-Institut/ Max Mueller Bhavan, Ms. Anja Riedeberger.

Oxford Bookstore Art Book Prize is India's only prize that recognises the value of art in all genres under the umbrella of the art publication. The Oxford Bookstore Art Book Prize is an innovative collaboration between Oxford Bookstores and the Visual Arts Gallery, celebrating the best in art publications published in English language. The collaboration between the two institutes underscores the importance of their commitment to advance the print practice in the field of arts. Significantly, the Art Book Prize actively recognizes the contribution the book has made to the large discourse on art and culture. The Oxford Bookstore Art Book Prize is an open invitation for publishers, academics who research art and culture, collectives and independent artists based in India who are involved from the conceptualization stage through the production stage of various forms of art publications. An illustrious panel of experts would be looking for original concepts, critical thinking, and novel approaches for identifying and recognising talents who contribute to the popularisation of art publishing in India and beyond. The jury for the fourth edition of Oxford Bookstore Art Book Prize includes Ambassador of Norway to India, Sri Lanka and Bhutan, H.E Ms. May-Elin Stener; Director, Apeejay Surrendra Group and the creative force behind Oxford Bookstores, Ms. Priti Paul; Museum curator, art historian, author and jury chair, Dr. Alka Pande; Director, Institutional Affairs and Outreach, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), Ms. Apurva Kackar; Fair Director, India Art Fair, Ms. Jaya Asokan; and Independent Arts Educator, Researcher and Curator, Ms. Shaleen Wadhwana.