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Context: Nandini Das, an Indian-born author and Professor in the English faculty at the University of Oxford, won the 2023 British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding.

Key Highlights

• Nandini Das, a 49-year-old Indian-born author and Professor in the English faculty at the University of Oxford, won the 2023 British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding.
• Her winning book is titled "Courting India: England, Mughal India, and the Origins of Empire," which explores the origins of the British Empire by focusing on the first English ambassador in India, Sir Thomas Roe, in the early 17th century.
• The author is noted for her extensive use of contemporary sources from both Indian and British political figures, officials, and merchants. This approach adds immediacy to the narrative and brings to life the early encounters and misunderstandings between the two cultures.
• Other Shortlisted Work: The shortlist for the prize also included a work titled "Black Ghost of Empire: The Long Death of Slavery and the Failure of Emancipation" by Kris Manjapra.
• The British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding was formerly known as the Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize. It was established in 2013 to recognize and celebrate outstanding works of non-fiction known for their rigour, scholarly excellence, and their contribution to global cultural understanding and appreciation.
• The British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding is an international non-fiction award with prize money of £25,000.

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