Five on Gratiaen Prize shortlist

The Gratiaen Trust on Monday announced the five writers on the shortlist for the 31st Gratiaen Prize. They are: A Passing Return by Pasan Jayasinghe (Travelogue - Unpublished); Father Cabraal’s Recipe for Love Cake by Ramya Jirasinghe (Novel - Unpublished); Gnanam by Selvi Sachithanandam (Biography - Published); Students and Rebels by Vihanga Perera (Novel - Published) and When Ghosts Die by Lal Medawattegedara (Novel – Unpublished).

The annual award founded by Michael Ondaatje celebrates exceptional English creative writing by Sri Lankan authors. The winner of the 31^st Gratiaen Prize will be revealed at the award event on June 1, 2024.^.

The jury panel is chaired by Dr Anthony Joseph F.R.S.L., a T.S Elliot award-winning poet, novelist, academic, and musician, with Dr. Ruvani Ranasinha,  who specialises in postcolonial literature at King’s College London and Angeline Ondaatjie, hotelier and academic.

Speaking of his experience as Chair of the jury, Dr Anthony Joseph, said, “Judging the Gratiaen Prize has given me an insight into the complexities of the Sri Lankan history and culture. Each book has offered something of the island. There is a richness of detail throughout the entries, which is vivid and sensuous, with elegant, transportive descriptions of the island and its landscape. It has also been great to see how as writers, we are all, regardless to our geographies, trying to say something about what it means to be human. The stories and poems here are grappling with issues and concerns which are universal but are doing this in a distinctively Sri Lankan way. It’s been an honour to be part of this process.”

Representative of John Keells Foundation, the primary sponsor to the Trust, Carmeline Jayasuriya, Head of CSR and Senior Assistant Vice President, John Keells Holdings PLC, speaking at the event said, “John Keells Foundation is delighted to partner with the Gratiaen Trust for the fifth successive year in its commitment to support an increasingly vibrant literary culture in Sri Lanka. As the process for the prestigious Gratiaen Prize progresses, we look forward to celebrating the achievements of Sri Lankan writers and continuing our collaborative efforts with the Gratiaen Trust to nurture creativity and innovation.”

Said Orlando Edwards, Country Director, British Council Sri Lanka, “I am immensely proud of the British Council’s enduring partnership with the Gratiaen Trust. We are delighted that the UK poet Dr Anthony Joseph will chair the judges for the 2023 Gratiaen Prize. Our work with the Gratiaen Trust is highly regarded in the UK, where the growing importance of the Sri Lankan literary scene on the global stage is recognised.”

“It’s worth noting too, the huge potential of the Sri Lankan Book Publishing industry. The market size of the Book Publishing industry in the UK is estimated to be £6.9bn in 2024. Here in Sri Lanka, it’s the work of actors like the Gratiaen Trust which are helping to grow the Sri Lankan creative economy. We hope that this year’s Gratiaen Prize will continue to inspire more Sri Lankans to write and to read.”

For more details about the Gratiaen Prize and the upcoming awards ceremony, visit www.gratiaen.com.