The Gratiaen Trust, in partnership with John Keells Foundation and with the support of British Council as its event partner, announced the shortlist for the 31st Gratiaen Prize, on April 29, 2024, at the British Council Library in Colombo. This prestigious 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next stage of the competition, these include in alphabetical order: A Passing Return by Pasan Jayasinghe (Travelogue - Unpublished); Father Cabraal’s Recipe for Love Cake by Ramya Jirasinghe (Novel - Unpublished); Gnanam by Selvi Sachithanandam (Biography - Published); Students and Rebels by Vihanga Perera (Novel - Published) and When Ghosts Die by Lal Medawattegedara (Novel - Unpublished).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 distinguished 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 renowned hotelier and academic with a background in chemical engineering and literature.

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 CSR entity of the John Keells Group, one of our six pillars is Arts & Culture aimed at safeguarding and fostering the cultural heritage of Sri Lanka whilst 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.”

Orlando Edwards, Country Director – British Council Sri Lanka,  added, “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 delivered 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. 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 literature 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!

The Gratiaen Prize in 2024 is generously supported by John Keells Foundation - the CSR entity of the John Keells Group - the primary sponsor of the Gratiaen Trust since October 2019 under its vision of Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow. The British Council will sponsor the visit of Dr Anthony Joseph, contributing significantly to the enrichment of the event with international expertise. The winner of the 31^st  Gratiaen Prize will be revealed at the award event on June 1^st, 2024, celebrating the best of Sri Lankan literary talent and the ongoing commitment of the Gratiaen Trust to foster creative literary excellence in the country. For more details about the Gratiaen Prize and the upcoming awards ceremony, visit www.gratiaen.com.