The Gratiaen Trust, in partnership with John Keells Foundation and with the support of the British Council as its event partner, announced the shortlist for the 31st Gratiaen Prize at the British Council Library in Colombo on Monday. This annual award founded by Michael Ondaatje celebrates exceptional English creative writing by Sri Lankan authors.
This year, of the eight longlisted writers, five have been short-listed for the next stage of the competition, these include in alphabetical order: A Passing Return by Pasan Jayasinghe (Travelogue – Unpublished); Father Cabraal’s Recipe for Love Cake by Ramya Jirasinghe (Novel – Unpublished); Gnanam by Selvi Sachithanandam (Biography – Published); Students and Rebels by Vihanga Perera (Novel – Published) and When Ghosts Die by Lal Medawattegedara (Novel – Unpublished).
Reflecting on the Gratiaen Prize’s longstanding tradition of representing three perspectives within the judging process, the jury panel this year comprises a creative writer, an academic and an informed general reader.
The 31st Gratiaen Prize jury panel comprises international and local literary figures. It is chaired by Dr Anthony Joseph F.R.S.L., a T.S Elliot award-winning poet, novelist, academic, and musician. Joining him are Dr. Ruvani Ranasinha, a professor specialising in postcolonial literature at King’s College London; and Angeline Ondaatjie, a hotelier and academic with a background in chemical engineering and literature.
Chair of the jury, Dr. 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, 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 CSR entity of the John Keells Group, one of our six pillars is Arts and Culture aimed at safeguarding and fostering the cultural heritage of Sri Lanka while promoting social cohesion and well-being and boosting creative economies through strategic initiatives and collaborations. 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.”
Country Director – British Council Sri Lanka Orlando Edwards said, “I am immensely proud of the British Council’s enduring partnership with the Gratiaen Trust. Last year, we worked together to bring award-winning UK authors Monique Roffey and Sita Brahmachari to Sri Lanka. They held creative writing workshops for teachers and students of all ages in Colombo, Kandy and Galle. And this year, 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.”
Edwards said, “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. Our partnership with the Trust is a leading example of the many and varied innovative projects that we deliver around the world promoting literary partnerships. We hope that this year’s Gratiaen Prize will continue to inspire more Sri Lankans to write and to read – our British Council Libraries and digital libraries are open to all, and we have lots of exciting new stock to tempt new members.”
