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Shehan Karunatilaka from Sri Lanka wins Booker Prize 2022

The author, who was born in Galle, Sri Lanka in 1975 and grew up in Colombo, was presented with his trophy by Her Majesty the Queen Consort in a grand ceremony held in London late on Monday

LONDON, October 18. /TASS/. The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by the Sri Lankan writer Shehan Karunatilaka has been named winner of the Booker Prize 2022. The author, who was born in Galle, Sri Lanka in 1975 and grew up in Colombo, was presented with his trophy by Her Majesty the Queen Consort in a grand ceremony held in London late on Monday, October 17.

The book explores life after death in a noir investigation set amid the murderous mayhem of a Sri Lanka beset by civil war, according to a statement released on the website of the Booker Prize. "In Colombo, 1990, war photographer Maali Almeida is dead, and has no idea who has killed him. He has seven moons to try and contact the man and woman he loves most and lead them to a hidden cache of photos that will rock Sri Lanka. It has been described by the Booker Prize judges as ‘whodunnit and a race against time, full of ghosts, gags and a deep humanity’," the statement said.

Apart from international recognition and a sharp rise in sales of his books, the author won the 50,000 pound ($57,000) award for his novel.