Sri Lankan writer Shehan Karunatilaka has won the 2022 Booker Prize for his second novel, “The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida.” The novel takes place against the backdrop of Sri Lanka’s bloody civil war in the last 1980s. It is many things: a black comedy about the afterlife, a murder mystery, and a political satire. Marco Werman speaks with Sri Lankan literature professor Dinidu Karunanayake of Elon University about Shehan Karunatilaka and what his Booker win means for Sri Lanka.
The story you just read is available to read for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, the reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
When you make a gift of $10 or more a month, we’ll invite you to a virtual behind-the-scenes tour of our newsroom to thank you for being with The World.