Sri Lankan Author Shehan Karunatilaka Wins Booker for ‘The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida’

New Delhi: The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka, one of Sri Lanka’s foremost authors, has been named winner of the Booker Prize, 2022.

The announcement was made in a ceremony in London, on October 17.

Karunatilaka is the second Sri Lankan-born author to win the award.

This is Karunatilaka’s second novel. He has also written rock songs, screenplays and travel stories.

The Seven Moons is described in the award citation as “a searing, mordantly funny satire set amid the murderous mayhem of a Sri Lanka beset by civil war.”

The award comes as Sri Lanka recovers for the aftermath of soaring prices leading to a civil uprising and a shuffle in the government.

This year’s International Booker Prize winner was Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree, a book that was translated from Hindi by Daisy Rockwell.

Featured image: ‘The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida.’ (Right) Shehan Karunatilaka at the Booker podium on October 17.

This article was first published on The Wire.