Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Sri Lanka's Shehan Karunatilaka wins Booker Prize for afterlife thriller

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida’ tells the story of the photographer of its title, who in 1990 wakes up dead in what seems like a celestial visa office. 

Sri Lanka's Shehan Karunatilaka wins Booker Prize for afterlife thriller

Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka has been named the winner of the 2022 Booker Prize for his second novel ‘The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida', described by judges as a whodunnit and a race against time, full of ghosts, gags and deep humanity.

Karunatilaka, 47, became only the second Sri Lankan born to win the prestigious £50,000 literary prize at a ceremony in London on Monday night, after Michael Ondaatje who won for ‘The English Patient' in 1992.


‘The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida' tells the story of the photographer of its title, who in 1990 wakes up dead in what seems like a celestial visa office. With no idea who killed him, Maali has seven moons to contact the people he loves most and leads them to a hidden cache of photos of civil war atrocities that will rock Sri Lanka.

“What the judges particularly admired and enjoyed in ‘The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida' was the ambition of its scope, and the hilarious audacity of its narrative techniques,” said Neil MacGregor, Chair of the 2022 Booker judges.

“This is a metaphysical thriller, an afterlife noir that dissolves the boundaries not just of different genres, but of life and death, body and spirit, east and west. It is an entirely serious philosophical romp that takes the reader to ‘the world's dark heart' — the murderous horrors of civil war Sri Lanka. And once there, the reader also discovers the tenderness and beauty, the love and loyalty, and the pursuit of an ideal that justifies every human life,” he said.

Karunatilaka, who was born in Galle in 1975 and grew up in Colombo, says that Sri Lankans specialise in "gallows humour" and make jokes in the face of crises as a coping mechanism. His debut novel from 2011, ‘Chinaman', won the Commonwealth Prize.

‘The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida', published by the independent press Sort of Books, explores life after death in a noir investigation set amid the murderous mayhem of a Sri Lanka beset by civil war. In 1990 Colombo, war photographer Maali Almeida is dead, and has no idea who killed him. He has seven moons to try and contact the man and woman he loves most and lead them to a hidden trove of shocking photos.

Karunatilaka and this year's other shortlisted authors, NoViolet Bulawayo, Percival Everett, Claire Keegan and Elizabeth Strout, were all in attendance at the Roundhouse in London, with Alan Garner attending virtually.

The first fully in-person event since 2019 brought together Booker writers past and present with a diverse range of readers and celebrated talent from across the cultural spectrum. This year's judging panel included academic and broadcaster Shahidha Bari; historian Helen Castor; novelist and critic M. John Harrison; and novelist, poet and professor Alain Mabanckou.

“This year's Booker judges have formed an incredible team. At their final meeting they were sad to disband, and to be separated from the books that had kept them company,” said Gaby Wood, Director of the Booker Prize Foundation.

“The 170 novels they read originated in many parts of the globe. ‘We're going to show that you can find a diamond anywhere in the world,' said one of the judges.

Finally, their longlist of 13 undiminished in spirit, they settled on a single gem: a book they were excited to press into the hands of readers everywhere,” she said.

Camilla made one of her first public appearances since she became Queen Consort and singer Dua Lipa delivered a rousing speech.

“I often wonder if authors realise just how many gifts they give us. Touring commitments take me all over the globe and life is often hectic. Sometimes, just to survive, I need to adopt a tough exterior. And at these times, it is books that soften me,” said the pop star.

Karunatilaka's £50,000 prize money and newly designed trophy were presented to him by last year's winner Damon Galgut, along with a designer-bound edition of his book and the GBP 2,500 given to each shortlisted author. As the winner, the Sri Lankan author can expect instant international recognition and a dramatic increase in global sales.

(PTI)

More For You

Starmer faces revolt as welfare bill vote sparks Labour uproar

Keir Starmer speaks during a reception for public sector workers at 10 Downing Street in London on July 1, 2025. (Photo by CARL COURT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Starmer faces revolt as welfare bill vote sparks Labour uproar

PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer faced the most serious test of his leadership on Tuesday (1) as his government’s flagship welfare reforms came under fierce attack from within his own party.

The day was marked by emotional speeches, last-minute concessions, and a deep sense of division among Labour MPs, many of whom said the proposed changes would push vulnerable people into poverty

Keep ReadingShow less
Lucy Letby

Letby, from Hereford in western England, was charged in 2020 after a series of deaths in the hospital's neo-natal unit.

Three senior hospital staff arrested in Lucy Letby case probe

POLICE on Tuesday said they had arrested three senior staff members at the hospital where nurse Lucy Letby was found guilty of murdering seven babies. The arrests were made on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.

The investigation was launched in 2023 at the Countess of Chester Hospital (CoCH) in northwest England, following Letby’s conviction and life sentence for killings that took place between 2015 and 2016.

Keep ReadingShow less
food-delivery-getty

Uber Eats and Deliveroo will tighten ID checks, including facial verification, to curb illegal migrant work after UK government pressure. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Food delivery platforms to step up ID checks after migrant work abuse reports

FOOD delivery companies Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat have agreed to strengthen security measures, including facial verification checks, to prevent irregular migrants from working through their platforms, following criticism from the UK government.

The announcement came after the Labour government summoned the three firms for a meeting in response to a report by The Sun which exposed how some migrants were bypassing rules and working illegally in the gig economy sector.

Keep ReadingShow less
David Joseph

Joseph has chaired several BRIT Awards shows and was an executive producer of the Oscar and BAFTA-winning 2015 documentary Amy.

David Joseph named new CEO of the RSA

THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF ARTS (RSA) has announced the appointment of David Joseph CBE as its next chief executive officer. He will take over the role in September, succeeding Andy Haldane.

Joseph previously served as chairman and CEO of Universal Music UK for 17 years. During his time at the company, he oversaw its transformation into a global exporter of British music and worked with several major international artists.

Keep ReadingShow less
Labour Rift Deepens as MPs Prepare for Crucial Welfare Bill Vote

People take part in a protest against disability welfare cuts on June 30, 2025 in London. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

MPs to vote on welfare bill amid Labour divisions

DOZENS of Labour MPs are expected to vote against the government’s welfare reforms despite recent concessions aimed at easing opposition.

The government had initially planned to tighten eligibility for Personal Independence Payment (Pip) but later said the stricter rules would only apply to new claimants from November 2025.

Keep ReadingShow less