Civil war & peace
New Zealand Listener|April 01-07 2023
Shehan Karunatilaka's Booker Prize-winning novel captures a Sri Lanka in turmoil. But his writing career was sparked in a quiet corner of New Zealand.
KIRAN DASS
Civil war & peace

Should anyone doubt the importance of libraries, Shehan Karunatilaka is living proof that they can, in fact, change lives.

As a teenager living in Whanganui, Karunatilaka spent so many hours in his school library that it inspired him to take up writing as a career. And as we all now know, that was no folly.

At the end of last year, his second novel, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, won the Booker Prize. He is the first Sri Lankan novelist to win the Booker since Michael Ondaatje won in 1992 for his sweeping epic The English Patient.

Born in Galle, Sri Lanka, in 1975, Karunatilaka moved with his family to New Zealand in 1990 when he was 15. His doctor father took up a post at Whanganui Hospital, which was then experiencing a doctor shortage. Karunatilaka was sent to board at Whanganui Collegiate.

"And, of course, I hated the whole experience," he says. "It's different when you're one of the few brown kids at boarding school wearing a uniform. Even though my country was messed up, I didn't want to leave my friends and go to Whanganui." To alleviate the huge upheaval and displacement, Karunatilaka found refuge in books in the school library. "It was probably what made me want to be a writer, all those hours I spent at that library."

Karunatilaka went on to study at Massey University in Palmerston North before living in Wellington, then going on to live and work (mostly in advertising and copywriting) in London, Amsterdam and Singapore. He now lives in the Sri Lankan city of Colombo with his wife and their two young children.

Bu hikaye New Zealand Listener dergisinin April 01-07 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye New Zealand Listener dergisinin April 01-07 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

NEW ZEALAND LISTENER DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
First-world problem
New Zealand Listener

First-world problem

Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.

time-read
3 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Applying intelligence to AI
New Zealand Listener

Applying intelligence to AI

I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.

time-read
2 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Nazism rears its head
New Zealand Listener

Nazism rears its head

Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.

time-read
2 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Staying ahead of the game
New Zealand Listener

Staying ahead of the game

Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?

time-read
4 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Grasping the nettle
New Zealand Listener

Grasping the nettle

Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.

time-read
3 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Hangry? Eat breakfast
New Zealand Listener

Hangry? Eat breakfast

People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.

time-read
3 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Chemical reaction
New Zealand Listener

Chemical reaction

Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.

time-read
4 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Me and my guitar
New Zealand Listener

Me and my guitar

Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.

time-read
2 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Time is on my side
New Zealand Listener

Time is on my side

Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?

time-read
7 dak  |
September 9, 2024
The kids are not alright
New Zealand Listener

The kids are not alright

Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.

time-read
4 dak  |
September 9, 2024