TAGDU MANGA WINS DICKENS AWARD FOR LITERARY EXCELLENCE AT KOLKATA LITERARY CARNIVAL India’s first historical manga comic, Tagdu and the Wrath of the Serpents, has been honoured with the prestigious Dickens Medal for Literary Excellence at the 11th International Literary Awards 2025–26, held during the Kolkata Literary Carnival at the Satyajit Ray Auditorium of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Kolkata. The award was presented to author Sanjai Banerji amidst a distinguished gathering of authors, artists, publishers, and literary luminaries from across the country and abroad. Ukiyoto Publishing played a pivotal role in the production of India’s First Historical Manga. Banerji received the honour for Best Graphic Novel of the Year from Dr. Soujanya Pudi, Head of Languages and Communications at NSHM Knowledge Campus. Based in Bhopal, Sanjai Banerji represents an inspiring example of creative reinvention. Beginning his literary journey at the age of fifty-nine, he has authored an impressive range of books, novels, anthologies, and comics within a span of six years. His debut work, Crossing the Finish Line (2019), was written to encourage non-runners and management trainees in his organization Prism Johnson Limited, where he served as General Manager (Corporate Image) to embrace fitness through structured running. Richly illustrated and practical in approach, the book offered guidance on nutrition, exercises, breathing techniques, footwear selection, and detailed training programmes enabling beginners to run 10 kilometres within three months and complete a half-marathon within six months. His second book, The Mountaineering Handbook (2022), followed a remarkable personal milestone. In April 2021, Banerji became the oldest Indian to successfully complete the Basic Mountaineering Course with an A Grade at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali. The handbook went on to receive two major honours — the Golden Book Award and the Suenos Ukiyoto Literary Award, and became a bestseller on Amazon. Widely regarded as a practical reference for mountaineering students, the book closely follows the syllabus of the Basic Mountaineering Course and has since been published in English, Hindi, and Nepali editions. Continuing to push personal and creative boundaries, Banerji achieved another milestone in 2024 at the age of sixty-four by summiting Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, becoming the oldest Indian to reach the highest point of the African continent. In 2023, he authored Nobody Dies Tonight, a fitness memoir inspired by his training during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, when he maintained endurance by running on rooftops and along private roads within his residential premises. The same year also saw the publication of his debut novel, Justice on the Hills, a fictional exploration of the formation of Gorkhaland in West Bengal. The novel generated wide discussion and went on to win the Best Fiction Award of 2024. It has since been translated into Hindi, Nepali, French, German, and Filipino. Expanding into visual storytelling for younger audiences, Banerji turned to comics in 2024. His first children’s comic, Guardians of Nathu La, received the International Children’s Book Award in 2025. Set against the perilous landscape of the Nathu La Pass in Sikkim, the story explored courage and friendship between a man, a woman, and an eight-year-old girl struggling to survive an avalanche. Another comic, Tagdu and the Curse of Nagani, followed later the same year. In addition to his independent works, Banerji has co-authored twenty-three anthologies. All his short stories are available in print, digital, and audio formats and span diverse genres including adventure, friendship, crime, mythology, the occult, history, romance, and psychological drama. Two of his comics have also been adapted from his short fiction. Tagdu and the Wrath of the Serpents, now recognised with the Dickens Medal, introduces readers to India’s ancient past through the visual language of manga. Set around Sanchi, Besnagar, and the Udayagiri caves during the Mauryan era, the story follows Tagdu, a humble stone carver whose courage protects his village from the serpent queen Nagani and the enigmatic dark sage Jaratkaru. Blending mythology, archaeology, and ethical dilemmas, the richly illustrated black-and-white narrative brings early Indian civilisation vividly to life while celebrating bravery, compassion, and wisdom. Designed for students, history enthusiasts, and manga readers alike, the work combines adventure with historical insight rooted in real landscapes and cultural memory. The forthcoming sequel, Tagdu and the People of Ayodhya, continues India’s first historical manga series through a deeper exploration of leadership, diplomacy, and conscience during the Mauryan age. Sent as the emissary of the King of Sanchi, Tagdu journeys through uncertain territories where authority is negotiated through trade, belief, and custom rather than rebellion. From a deadly duel upon the Vetravati bridge to the disciplined political order of Kaushambi, he learns that loyalty cannot be commanded; it must be earned. As tensions rise before the gates of Ayodhya, victory demands restraint rather than conquest. Amidst the thunder of elephants, clashing steel, and trembling battlefields, Tagdu confronts a profound question: what truly deserves protection — power itself, or the people who endure beyond it? Blending authentic historical settings with moral courage, political wisdom, and epic action, the sequel expands the vision of historical manga storytelling rooted in Indian civilisation. Volume Two of the Tagdu manga series is scheduled for release in Kolkata in April 2026. Tagdu and the Wrath of the Serpents is available on Amazon and Google Play Books. Amazon Link: https://amzn.in/d/7mvYCfn
