Commonwealth Short Story Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 10 (2021) Winner
Kanya D'Almeida
カンヤ・ダルメイダ
Kanya D'Almeida
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Nationality
- Sri Lankan
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Colombo, Sri Lanka → United States (Massachusetts, New York, etc.) → Mexico (reporting/stays)
Career
- Occupations
- author, journalist, writer
- Active Years
- 2006-
- Influenced By
- Victor LaValle
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hampshire College | — | English and Political Science | BA | 2002–2006 | United States |
| Columbia University School of the Arts | School of the Arts | Fiction (MFA) | MFA | — | United States |
Hampshire College
English and Political Science
Degree:
BA
Period:
2002–2006
Year of Graduation:
2006
Country:
United States
Undergraduate studies in English and Political Science
Columbia University School of the Arts
School of the Arts
/ Fiction (MFA)
Degree:
MFA
Year of Graduation:
2018
Country:
United States
MFA in Fiction
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Commonwealth Short Story Prize | I Cleaned the | — | Commonwealth Foundation / Commonwealth Writers | 受賞 (winner) |
Commonwealth Short Story Prize
2021
Work:
I Cleaned the
Organization:
Commonwealth Foundation / Commonwealth Writers
Result:
受賞 (winner)
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
I Cleaned the
2021 short storyA short story that centers on 'dirty work' — domestic labour, human waste and abandonment — exploring the social and psychological burdens of motherhood and care work.
domestic labourmotherhoodsocial abandonmentsanitation and dignity
Bibliography
- Short story 'I Cleaned the', Granta, 2021
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- calm, observational proserealism rooted in social issuesfeminist perspective in depiction
- Recurring Motifs
- motherhoodbody and wasteinvisible care work
Legacy
Gained international recognition for short fiction addressing domestic labour and women's mental health. Winner of the 2021 Commonwealth Short Story Prize and the first Sri Lankan to receive the award, raising international attention to Sri Lankan writing.
Trivia
- In 2021 she was announced as the overall winner of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize, the first Sri Lankan to do so.
- Hosts the podcast 'The Darkest Light', critically examining birth and motherhood.
- Worked as a journalist covering human rights issues in Sri Lanka, Mexico and the United States.