Gratiaen Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 21 (2008) Winner
Shehan Karunatilaka
シーハン・カルナティラカ
Shehan Karunatilaka
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1975 （Galle, Sri Lanka）
- Nationality
- Sri Lankan
- Languages
- English, Sinhala
- Residence History
- Colombo (grew up) → Galle (born) → London (has lived) → Amsterdam (has lived) → Singapore (has lived) → New Zealand (studied)
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Creative Director, Journalist
- Active Years
- 2000-
- Influenced By
- Kurt Vonnegut, Salman Rushdie, Michael Ondaatje, Agatha Christie, Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Douglas Adams, Cormac McCarthy
- Nominations
- Gratiaen Prize shortlist (unpublished manuscript The Painter, 2000), Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize (shortlist)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S. Thomas' Preparatory School | — | — | — | — | Sri Lanka |
| Whanganui Collegiate School | — | — | — | — | New Zealand |
| Massey University | — | English literature | Bachelor's (English literature) | — | New Zealand |
S. Thomas' Preparatory School
Country:
Sri Lanka
Educated in Colombo (primary/secondary schooling)
Whanganui Collegiate School
Country:
New Zealand
Secondary education in New Zealand
Massey University
English literature
Degree:
Bachelor's (English literature)
Country:
New Zealand
Graduated in English literature, against family's wishes to study business administration
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Gratiaen Prize | Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew | — | The Gratiaen Trust | winner |
| 2012 | Commonwealth Book Prize | Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew | Overall | Commonwealth Writers | winner |
| 2012 | DSC Prize for South Asian Literature | Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew | — | DSC Prize | winner |
| 2022 | Booker Prize | The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida | — | The Booker Prizes | winner |
Gratiaen Prize
2008
Work:
Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew
Organization:
The Gratiaen Trust
Result:
winner
Commonwealth Book Prize
2012
Work:
Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew
Category:
Overall
Organization:
Commonwealth Writers
Result:
winner
DSC Prize for South Asian Literature
2012
Work:
Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew
Organization:
DSC Prize
Result:
winner
Booker Prize
2022
Work:
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida
Organization:
The Booker Prizes
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
DSC Prize for South Asian Literature
1 appearances
-
Edition 2 (2012) Winner
Commonwealth Writers' Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 26 (2012) Winner
Booker Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 54 (2022) Winner
Works
Major Works
Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew
2010 Novel (cricket / social satire)An alcoholic retired sports journalist sets out to find the missing legendary Sri Lankan cricketer Pradeep Mathew. Using cricket as a lens, the novel explores Sri Lankan history and society with elements of tragedy, comedy and mystery.
CricketSri Lankan historyIdentityFriendship
Translations
- Sinhala translation: Chinaman: Pradeep Mathewge Cricket Pravadaya (translated by Dileepa Abeysekara, 2015)
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida
2022 Novel (ghost story / political satire / whodunit)Set in 1989 Sri Lanka, renegade war photographer Maali Almeida is a ghost tasked with solving his own murder. The book blends the afterlife, war memories, ethical dilemmas and political satire into a whodunit structure.
War and its consequencesAfterlifePolitical violenceMemory and guilt
Translations
- Originally published in the Indian subcontinent as Chats with the Dead (Penguin India, 2020); revised and published internationally as The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida (Sort of Books, 2022)
Please Don't Put That In Your Mouth
2019 Children's bookA humorous cautionary children's book originally conceived for the author's son; illustrated in collaboration with his brother Lalith Karunatilaka.
Child safetyHumour
Chats with the Dead
2020 NovelThe Indian subcontinent edition of the novel later revised and published internationally as The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida; deals with the dead and memories of war.
Dialogues with the deadMemories of war
Bibliography
- Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew (2010)
- Please Don't Put That In Your Mouth (2019)
- Chats with the Dead (Penguin India, 2020)
- The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida (Sort of Books, 2022)
- Khans (listed 2023 via Little, Brown)
Translations of Works
- Sinhala translation of Chinaman: Chinaman: Pradeep Mathewge Cricket Pravadaya (2015, translated by Dileepa Abeysekara)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Wry, darkly comic narrationSocial satire with historical perspectiveGenre-blending (ghost story, whodunit, political novel)
- Recurring Motifs
- Death and the afterlifeWar and violenceCricket (sport)Friendship and loss
Legacy
Established as one of Sri Lanka's significant contemporary writers with international recognition. Chinaman earned multiple awards and the 2022 Booker Prize further increased his global profile. He is praised for depicting Sri Lankan politics, history and society with distinctive humour and critical edge.
In Popular Culture
- Chinaman ranked highly among cricket books (voted among best cricket books by Wisden)
- Won the 2022 Booker Prize, drawing international attention
Quotes
-
The novel fizzes with energy, imagery and ideas against a broad, surreal vision of the Sri Lankan civil wars. Slyly, angrily comic.
Source: Booker Prize judges' citation (2022) -
This fabulously enjoyable read will keep you entertained and rooting for the protagonist until the very end, while delivering startling truths about cricket and about Sri Lanka.
Source: Margaret Busby (chair of judges, Commonwealth Book Prize) (2012)
Trivia
- Has played bass in Sri Lankan rock bands such as Independent Square and Powercut Circus.
- Chinaman was initially self-published (2010) and later received wide acclaim.
- Early unpublished manuscript The Painter was shortlisted for the Gratiaen Prize in 2000.