Ludhiana, Aug. 20 -- Punjabi writer Rajpreet Kaur Benipal has brought international recognition to Khanna after being named one of three finalists for the 2026 Dhahan Prize for Punjabi Literature, a leading global honour for Punjabi fiction.

Benipal has been shortlisted for her Punjabi short-story collection 'Qabran Vich Ugge Phull' (flowers growing in a graveyard). She is the only finalist from India this year. The other two finalists are Amber Hosseini of Sargodha and Akmal Shazad Ghuman of Islamabad, both from Pakistan.

The three finalists were announced on August 18 at Surrey Libraries' Newton branch in Surrey, British Columbia. They were selected from 58 eligible submissions received from Punjabi writers in Canada, India, Pakistan,...