Born in Colombo in 1954, Romesh Gunesekera explores motives from his native island.He grew up in Sri Lanka and the Philippines, moving to England in 1971. His first book, Monkfish Moon, a collection of short stories reflecting the ethnic and political tensions that have threatened Sri Lanka since independence in 1948, was published in 1992. His novel, 'Reef' was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.Gunesekera lives in London, but travels widely for festivals, workshops and British Council tours. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the Asia House Festival of Asian Literature.

• Sri Lanka Ranjana 2005
• BBC Asia Award 1998 for Achievement in Writing & Literature
• Winner Premio Mondello Five Continents Asia Prize 1997 (Reef)
• Winner of Yorkshire Post First Work Prize 1995 (Reef)
• Finalist Booker Prize 1994 (Reef)
• Finalist Guardian Fiction Prize 1994 (Reef)
• Finalist Commonwealth Writers' Regional Prize 1993 (Monkfish Moon)
• Finalist David Higham Prize 1992 (Monkfish Moon)
• Arts Council Writers' Bursary 1991
• Won the first prize in the Peterloo Open Poetry Competition in 1988
• The Rathborne Prize in Philosophy 1976
• Liverpool College Poetry Prize 1972

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