Quick Facts

Shehan Karunatilaka, one of Sri Lanka’s most well-known writers, is the creator of The Seven Moons Of Maali Almeida, which most recently took home the Booker Prize. He is also the author of Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Matthew, which Wisden ranked as the second-best cricket book of all time and won the 2012 Commonwealth Book Prize.

In 1975, Karunatilaka was born in Galle, Sri Lanka. His early years were spent in Sri Lanka’s beautiful capital, Colombo. He has spent his entire career working for advertising agencies, technology companies, media outlets, start-ups, and multinational corporations in Singapore, London, Colombo, Sydney, and Amsterdam.

How much is the net worth of Shehan Karunatilaka?

Shehan Karunatilaka received 50,000 pounds ($57,000) in prize money for winning the Booker Prize. His estimated net worth is $200,000, the same as that of model Courtney Robertson.

In terms of his source of income, Karuntilaka writes while also working for a number of businesses and agencies. Aside from that, his books are quickly approaching best-seller status.

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Childhood & Education

Shehan Karunatalika used to write features for The Guardian, National Geographic, Rolling Stone, Wisden, The Cricketer, Economic Times, Newsweek, and Conde Nast while working as an advertising copywriter.

Additionally, he played bass for the Sri Lankan band Independent Square.

Karunatilaka received his education at S. Thomas Preparatory School in Kollupitiya, Sri Lanka. Following that, he continued his undergraduate studies at Massey University and Whanganui Collegiate School in New Zealand, where he focused on business administration and English literature.

Is The Shehan Karunatilaka Married? What About Kids?

Yes, Shehan Karunatilaka, a well-known author, is married and a parent to two children. With his wife and kids, he splits his time between Kurunegala and Colombo.

His wife and children’s identities, however, are unknown because he hasn’t provided any information about them.

Shehan Karunatilaka Debut Novel Won The Commonwealth Prize

The Painter was actually Karunatilaka’s first novel. However, the book was never released. And his second book, Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew, served as his debut novel. The journey of an alcoholic journalist looking for a missing cricketer from the 1980s is described in the book.

After winning the regional Commonwealth Book Prize in Asia on May 21, the book went on to win the overall Commonwealth Book Prize on June 8th, 2012.

Due to the book’s strong sales, British bookseller Waterstones named it one of the top debuts of 2011 in its list of the Waterstones 11.

Additionally, it made the Shakti Bhatt First Novel Prize shortlist. In addition, the book was awarded the 2012 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature and the 2008 Gratiaen Prize.

Awarded The Booker Prize of 2022

Karunatilaka won the Booker Prize in 2022 for his book The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, making him the second Sri Lankan author to do so.

He received the honor from Queen Consort Camilla at the award’s first live presentation since 2019 in person. At London’s Roundhouse on Monday, October 17, 2022, the prize was presented. The author claimed,

“My hope for ‘Seven Moons’ is that in the not too distant future… it is read in a Sri Lanka that has understood that these ideas of corruption, race-baiting and cronyism have not worked and will never work.”

The novel by Karunatilaka was praised as, “The judges called the book “a whodunnit and a race against time, full of ghosts, gags, and a deep humanity,” calling it “a searing, mordantly funny satire set amid the murderous mayhem of a Sri Lanka beset by civil war.”

The judge’s panel’s chairman, Neil MacGregor, described the book as “an afterlife noir that blurs the lines between life and death, body and spirit, east and west, as well as different genres.

What Is “The Seven Moons Of Maali Almeida” About?

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Karunatilaka, which was released in January 2022, is a metaphysical suspense novel about a murdered war photographer who wakes up dead. The setting is Sri Lanka in the 1990s, and there are ghosts and other paranormal beings present.

In the book, the war photographer has what is referred to as “seven moons,” and he searches for the truth about what happened to him. Additionally, he reaches out to his community in an effort to direct them to the images of the brutality of the conflict that he captured before his death.

Karunatilaka said in his speech accepting the prize for the book that he wants people to put it in the fantasy section and not think it’s “realism or political satire” However, the book is already regarded by many as a great satire that is set amidst the chaos of the Sri Lankan civil war.

You start off shooting sunsets and elephants. You end up photographing closeted homos and butchered soldiers.

-The Seven Moons Of Maali Almeida

Shehan Karunatilaka Failed Many Times In Life

Karunatilaka has a history of failure, according to his website. He claimed that he had failed as a rock star and a cricket player. He also referred to himself as a failed vegan because he was unable to maintain his veganism.

Is Shehan Karunatilaka Active On Social Media?

Shehan Karunatilaka, disappointingly, does not utilize any form of social media. It stands to reason that he would have a large following given how many people are interested in learning about his daily activities.

Readers can get in touch with him through his website. Karunatalika has made it clear that he doesn’t use any social media other than that. However, we do hope that the author makes himself accessible on a variety of social media platforms so that anyone can get in touch with him.