Houston: Indian origin author Meera Nair has been selected for the 2003 Asian American Literary Awards for her book 'Video: Stories', which narrates the immigrant experience.

Nair's work was chosen from over 60 books of Asian American writers by a national panel of writers and literary critics. Besides her, Walter Lew was selected for 'Treadwinds: Poems and Intermedia Works' and Julie Otsuka for 'When the Emperor was Divine'.

Earlier, Nair's book was chosen as one of the best books of 2002 by the 'Washington Post' and was a Kiriyama Prize Notable Book.

'Video' is a collection of 10 short stories, examining the Indian immigrant experience, out of which nine are set in India. published by Pantheon Books, a division of Random House, New York, the 191-page book hit the stores in April 2003.

Critics have hailed 'Video' as "an astonishing debut", written with a wry intelligence and an irresistible blend of humour, wit, and pathos.

It masterfully evokes traditional Indian culture as it confronts the onrush of change. In subtle gestures and keenly observed details, Meera Nair reveals an entire world of gleaming particularity and transcendent emotional power, the critics say.

Nair was born and raised in India and came to US in 1997 to study creative writing. She received an MA from Temple University and an MFA from New York University, where she was a 'New York Times' fellow. Her stories have been published in 'The Threepenny Review' and 'Calyx'. Nair lives in Brooklyn with her husband and a daughter.

The award will be presented on December 8 at the Asia Society, New York.

PTI