Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka was named as this year's recipient of Booker Prize for fiction,. Shehan won for his work 'The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida' which focuses on a murder of a journalist amid the country's sectarian strife.

"My hope for Seven Moons is this... that in the not-so-distant future... that it is read in a Sri Lanka that has understood that these ideas of corruption and race-baiting and cronyism have not worked and will never work," he said to the press post the announcement.

"I hope it's in print in 10 years but if it is, I hope it's written in (a) Sri Lanka that learns from its stories, and that Seven Moons will be in the fantasy section of the bookshop... next to the dragons, the unicorns (and) will not be mistaken for realism or political satire," he added.

Shehan is the second author from Sri Lanka to win the prestigious literary award. Before him Michael Ondaatje was won the award in 1992 for 'The English Patient'.

Aside from the £50,000 ($56,000) prize, winning the Booker can provide a career-changing boost in sales and public profile.

(With agency inputs)

Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka was named as this year's recipient of Booker Prize for fiction,. Shehan won for his work 'The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida' which focuses on a murder of a journalist amid the country's sectarian strife.

Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka was named as this year's recipient of Booker Prize for fiction,. Shehan won for his work 'The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida' which focuses on a murder of a journalist amid the country's sectarian strife. "My hope for Seven Moons is this... that in the not-so-distant future... that it is read in a Sri Lanka that has understood that these ideas of corruption and race-baiting and cronyism have not worked and will never work," he said to the press post the announcement. "I hope it's in print in 10 years but if it is, I hope it's written in (a) Sri Lanka that learns from its stories, and that Seven Moons will be in the fantasy section of the bookshop... next to the dragons, the unicorns (and) will not be mistaken for realism or political satire," he added. Shehan is the second author from Sri Lanka to win the prestigious literary award. Before him Michael Ondaatje was won the award in 1992 for 'The English Patient'. Aside from the £50,000 ($56,000) prize, winning the Booker can provide a career-changing boost in sales and public profile. (With agency inputs)

Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka wins Booker Prize

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Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka wins Booker Prize