Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka has been crowned the Booker Prize winner for his book The Seven Moons Of Maali Almeida.
Published by the independent press Sort Of Books, it is a darkly comic murder mystery set in Colombo in 1990 during the Sri Lankan civil war. It follows Maali Almeida, a war photographer, gambler and closeted homosexual as he tries to find out who killed him.
It is only the 47-year-old’s second novel, but he picked up the £50,000 first prize and the award which was presented to him by the Queen Consort, at the Roundhouse in London. Literature lover Camilla was there with her sister Annabel Elliot and Karunatilaka was thrilled to meet her.
