Romesh Gunesekera
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Romesh Gunesekera
Romesh Gunesekera FRSL (born 1954) is a Sri Lankan-born British author, who was shortlisted for the Booker Prize for his novel ''Reef'' in 1994. He has judged a number of literary prizes and was Chair of the judges of Commonwealth Short Story Prize competition for 2015. Life and work Born in Colombo to a Sinhalese Christian family in 1954, Romesh Gunesekera grew up in Sri Lanka and the Philippines, where his father was a founder of the Asian Development Bank, and moved to England in 1971 and currently lives in London. 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, and was shortlisted for several prizes. His 1994 novel ''Reef'' was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Gunesekera 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. He is curre ...
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Reef (novel)
Reef is a historical fiction novel written by Sri Lankan-born British author Romesh Gunesekera, first published by Granta Books in 1994. Written in English and set in Sri Lanka, it tells the story of a talented young chef named Triton who is so committed to pleasing his master, Mr. Salgado, a marine biologist obsessed with swamps and seafood, that he is oblivious to the political unrest threatening his country. It is Gunesekera's debut novel and second book, following his 1992 collection of short stories, ''Monkfish Moon''. It was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1994, but lost to '' How Late It Was, How Late'' by James Kelman amid much controversy; and the Guardian Fiction Prize the same year. Plot Triton is a young chef who was forced to leave his father's house to work for Mr. Ranjan Salgado, a marine biologist obsessed by swamps, sea movements, and a Sri Lankan island's disappearing reef. Almost immediately, thanks to his master's obsessions, Triton works hard to please ...
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David Cohen Prize For Literature
The David Cohen Prize for Literature (est. 1993) is a British literary award given to a writer, novelist, short-story writer, poet, essayist or dramatist in recognition of an entire body of work, written in the English language. The prize is funded by the John S. Cohen Foundation and administered by Arts Council England. The writer must be a British or Irish citizen. The winner is chosen by nomination and entries are not required. The prize is valued at £40,000. In 2005, The David Cohen Prize incorporated the Clarissa Luard Award. The winner of the David Cohen Prize chooses the recipient of the Clarissa Luard Award, valued at £12,500 (funded by the Arts Council of England), and given to a writer under the age of 35 or an organisation that supports young writers. In 2017 Arts Council England launched the Clarissa Luard Award for Independent Publishing, managed by New Writing North, to recognise and celebrate the "adventurousness, innovative spirit and creativity" of independent ...
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Arts Council Of Great Britain
The Arts Council of Great Britain was a non-departmental public body dedicated to the promotion of the fine arts in Great Britain. It was divided in 1994 to form the Arts Council of England (now Arts Council England), the Scottish Arts Council (later merged into Creative Scotland), and the Arts Council of Wales. At the same time the National Lottery was established and these three arts councils, plus the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, became distribution bodies. History In January 1940, during the Second World War, the Council for the Encouragement of Music and the Arts (CEMA), was appointed to help promote and maintain British culture. Chaired by Lord De La Warr, President of the Board of Education, the council was government-funded and after the war was renamed the Arts Council of Great Britain. Reginald Jacques was appointed musical director, with Sir Henry Walford Davies and George Dyson also involved. John Denison took over after the war. A royal charter was grante ...
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David Higham Prize For Fiction
The David Higham Prize for Fiction was inaugurated in 1975 to mark the 80th birthday of David Higham, literary agent, and was awarded annually to a citizen of the Commonwealth, Republic of Ireland, Pakistan, or South Africa for a first novel or book of short stories. It was cancelled in 1999 due to "the lack of publicity its winners received." Past winners *1975 - Jane Gardam - ''Black Faces, White Faces'' and Matthew Vaughan - ''Chalky'' *1976 - Caroline Blackwood - ''The Stepdaughter'' *1977 - Patricia Finney - ''A Shadow of Gulls'' *1978 - Leslie Norris - ''Sliding: Short Stories'' *1979 - John Harvey - ''The Plate Shop'' *1980 - Ted Harriot - ''Keep On Running'' *1981 - Christopher Hope - ''A Separate Development'' *1982 - Glyn Hughes - ''Where I Used to Play on the Green'' *1983 - R. M. Lamming - '' The Notebook of Gismondo Cavalletti'' *1984 - James Buchan - ''A Parish of Rich Women'' *1985 - Patricia Ferguson - ''Family Myths and Legends'' *1986 - Jim Crace - ''Continen ...
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Commonwealth Writers' Prize
Commonwealth Foundation presented a number of prizes between 1987 and 2011. The main award was called the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and was composed of two prizes: the Best Book Prize (overall and regional) was awarded from 1987 to 2011; the Best First Book prize was awarded from 1989 to 2011. In addition the Commonwealth Short Story Competition was awarded from 1996 to 2011. Beginning in 2012, Commonwealth Foundation discontinued its previous awards and created a new cultural initiative called Commonwealth Writers, which offered two new awards: the Commonwealth Book Prize for the best first book, in which regional winners received £2,500 and the overall winner received £10,000; and the Commonwealth Short Story Prize for the best short stories, in which regional winners received £1,000 and the overall winner received £5,000. After two years, the Book Prize was discontinued. The Short Story Prize remains the sole award from Commonwealth Writers. Commonwealth Short Story Prize ...
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Guardian Fiction Prize
The Guardian Fiction Prize was a literary award sponsored by ''The Guardian'' newspaper. Founded in 1965, it recognized one fiction book per year written by a British or Commonwealth writer and published in the United Kingdom. The award ran for 33 years before being terminated. In 1999, the ''Guardian'' replaced the Fiction Prize with the ''Guardian'' First Book Award, for début works of both fiction and non-fiction, which was discontinued in 2016, with the 2015 awards being the last. Guardian Fiction Prize winners *1965: Clive Barry, '' Crumb Borne'' *1966: Archie Hind, ''The Dear Green Place'' *1967: Eva Figes, ''Winter Journey'' *1968: P. J. Kavanagh, ''A Song and a Dance'' *1969: Maurice Leitch, ''Poor Lazarus'' *1970: Margaret Blount, ''When Did You Last See your Father?'' *1971: Thomas Kilroy, ''The Big Chapel'' *1972: John Berger, '' G'' *1973: Peter Redgrove, ''In the Country of the Skin'' *1974: Beryl Bainbridge, ''The Bottle Factory Outing'' *1975: Sylvia Clayton, ...
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Yorkshire Post
''The Yorkshire Post'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper, published in Leeds in Yorkshire, England. It primarily covers stories from Yorkshire although its masthead carries the slogan "Yorkshire's National Newspaper". It was previously owned by Johnston Press and is now owned by JPIMedia. Founded in 1754, it is one of the oldest newspapers in the country. Editions are available throughout the United Kingdom with offices across Yorkshire in Harrogate, Hull, Scarborough, Sheffield and York, as well as correspondents in Westminster and the City of London. The current editor is James Mitchinson. It considers itself "one of Britain's most trusted and historic newsbrands." History The paper was founded in 1754, as the ''Leeds Intelligencer'', making it one of Britain's first daily newspapers. The ''Leeds Intelligencer'' was a weekly newspaper until it was purchased by a group of Conservatives in 1865 who then published daily under the current name. The first issue of ''The Yorksh ...
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The Age
''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and southern New South Wales. It is delivered both in print and digital formats. The newspaper shares some articles with its sister newspaper ''The Sydney Morning Herald''. ''The Age'' is considered a newspaper of record for Australia, and has variously been known for its investigative reporting, with its journalists having won dozens of Walkley Awards, Australia's most prestigious journalism prize. , ''The Age'' had a monthly readership of 5.321 million. History Foundation ''The Age'' was founded by three Melbourne businessmen: brothers John and Henry Cooke (who had arrived from New Zealand in the 1840s) and Walter Powell. The first edition appeared on 17 October 1854. ...
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Royal Society Of Literature
The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820, by George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV, to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". A charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, the RSL has about 600 Fellows, elected from among the best writers in any genre currently at work. Additionally, Honorary Fellows are chosen from those who have made a significant contribution to the advancement of literature, including publishers, agents, librarians, booksellers or producers. The society is a cultural tenant at London's Somerset House. History The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) was founded in 1820, with the patronage of George IV, to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent", and its first president was Thomas Burgess (bishop, born 1756), Thomas Burgess, Bishop of St David's (who was later translated as Bishop of Salisbury). At the heart of the RSL is its Fellowship, "which encompasses the most distinguished w ...
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Arvon Foundation
The Arvon Foundation is a charitable organisation in the United Kingdom that promotes creative writing. Arvon is one of Arts Council England's National Portfolio Organisations. Andrew Kidd is the Chief Executive Officer, Patricia Cumper is Chair of the board of trustees. History Arvon was founded in 1968 by two young poets, John Fairfax and John Moat. It runs residential writing courses at writing houses in three rural locations: Totleigh Barton, a 16th-century manor house in Devon; The Hurst, a manor house in Shropshire, which formerly belonged to the playwright John Osborne; and the former home of Ted Hughes, Lumb Bank, a 17th-century mill-owner's house hear Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic the organisation established Arvon at Home, an online offering of courses. Due to its success, Arvon at Home is now considered a permanent "fourth house." The courses and writing retreats, some open to all-comers, others specially organised with schools or ...
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