Thiruvananthapuram, India – December 28, 2025
In a celebration of literary excellence, former Indian Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar has been honoured with the K.M. Anthru International Literature Prize 2024 in the Memoir category for his acclaimed book As Good as My Word, published by HarperCollins India in 2022.The prize, instituted in 2021 in fond memory of the late K.M. Anthru – a distinguished writer and founder editor of the transnational magazine Litterateur Redefining World – recognizes outstanding contributions to global literature. This year’s award highlights works published between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2024, with the jury sifting through over 100 nominations to select winners that enrich the contemporary literary landscape. Chandrasekhar’s memoir provides an insider’s view of Indian governance, bureaucracy, and key national events during the UPA era. The jury praised it for offering “a remarkable first-hand account of Indian bureaucracy, politics, diplomacy, economic reforms, and governance from the 1970s to the 2010s,” noting its “clarity and an ‘ego-less’ narrative voice” that delivers rare insights uncommon in civil service writings. Born on February 20, 1948, K.M. Chandrasekhar is a retired IAS officer from the 1970 batch of the Kerala cadre, with a career spanning over four decades. He served as the 29th Cabinet Secretary of India from 2007 to 2011 under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, advising during critical moments such as the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, the global financial crisis, the 2G Spectrum scandal, and the 2010 Commonwealth Games corruption issues. His other notable roles include Union Revenue Secretary, India’s Ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, and Founder-Chairman of the Spices Board of India. Post-retirement, Chandrasekhar was Vice Chairman of the Kerala State Planning Board from 2011 to 2016 and held independent director positions at major companies like Tata Power and Federal Bank. In 2023, he received the Kerala Sree Award, the third-highest civilian honor from the Government of Kerala. As of 2025, he continues to contribute to academic and policy advisory circles, including the I.I.M.U.N. Academic Advisory Council. As Good as My Word has been widely acclaimed for its unsparing yet reflective narrative on public administration, trade diplomacy, and institutional critiques during tumultuous periods.
The announcement was made by Shajil Anthru, Chairman of the K.M. Anthru Foundation and Editor of Litterateur Redefining World. The jury, comprising Shajil Anthru (Chairman), Giacomo Cuttone (Italy), and Małgorzata Borzeszkowska (Poland), expressed confidence that Chandrasekhar’s work will continue to enlighten readers and make a lasting contribution to world literature. The K.M. Anthru Foundation was established to fulfil the late K.M. Anthru’s dream of creating a vibrant global platform for literature, arts, culture, and sustainable development. Past laureates include notable figures such as Jack Foley (USA, 2021), Ivan Argüelles (USA), Antonino Contiliano (Italy), and Rosa Jamali (Iran) in 2022, and Giacomo Cuttone (Italy), Anvar Abdullah (India), and Sudhakar Gaidhani (India) in 2023.Alongside Chandrasekhar, the prize in the Poetry category was awarded to Anna Maria Mickiewicz of the United Kingdom for her collection The Origin of the Planet, published by Kelsay Books.