The jury that will shortlist contenders for the second DSC Prize for South Asian Literature was announced today including five prominent names from the literary world like Ira Pande and Alastair Niven.

The USD 50,000 prize will pick its second winner at the annual Jaipur Literature Festival in January 2012, after the first edition prize went to Pakistani author H M Naqvi for his debut novel Home Boy.

The infrastructure firm DSC, which aims to promote writing on South Asia through this annual award, announced the jury for its 2012 edition today and said it brings "a wide canvas of experience and represents the interests and creative principles of writing pertaining to the South Asian region".

The five member panel comprises Indian writer Ira Pande as the chair, besides British author Alastair Niven, Bangladeshi author Fakrul Alam, Pakistani columnist Faiza S Khan, and American journalist-author Marie Brenner.

The jury will assess the entries its receives till May 15, over a period of the next three months and announce a longlist in September and a shortlist in October.

The award will finally be given out in January next year at the Jaipur Literature Festival.

"I am sure that this handsome award will encourage translations that will unveil this extraordinary treasury of imagination to the world outside it," says Ira Pande.

An international advisory committee which includes names like MJ Akbar, Nayantara Sehgal, William Dalrymple, and Lord Meghnad Desai, among others also guides the DSC literature prize.

"We had a successful first year. This year we hope to further our vision of extending the frontiers of South Asian writing by showcasing and rewarding the best writing talent and bring it to a global platform," says Manhad Narula, Director, DSC Limited.

The DSC Prize is given to an author, whose work is based on the South Asian region, irrespective of his' of her's nationality.