(Photo credit: Arko Datto Fortifications in the sea that resemble a giant ship in Diu)

For a literary prize to truly stand out in a crowded market, it needs to actively forge new partnerships and think creatively about how to secure national and international media exposure in bold, imaginative ways.

My approach with the British Academy Book Prize has been to look beyond traditional literary promotion to find news ways of talking about the powerful books on the shortlist each year.

In 2024, with support from the Hawthornden Foundation we partnered with the international photography agency Panos Pictures to create a new narrative for the Prize through reportage photography. We commissioned Arko Datto, an award-winning photographer based in India, to visually reinterpret Courting India England, Mughal India and the Origins of Empire by Nandini Das, winner of the British Academy Book Prize in 2023.

The ambition was to bring to life the themes of the book through a new medium and expand the conversation beyond traditional literary audiences. Datto’s work formed the centrepiece of a broader media campaign for the Prize through the creation of a digital exhibition showcased at the British Academy in London during Open House Weekend, extending the Prize’s reach into the cultural and public realm.

The result was a distinctive, cross-disciplinary collaboration that not only amplified the themes of Courting India, but also repositioned the Prize as a dynamic platform for cultural dialogue, and opened up collaborative opportunities with international arts festivals.

You can see a selection of the photographs in the Guardian’s photo gallery here.

Adrian Evans, Director of Panos Pictures said: “This is an exceptional opportunity for a photographer to create a contemporary project inspired by ground-breaking
historical research. The idea of combining a book prize with a photographic commission is unique and the British Academy should be applauded for this exciting new initiative.”