Rani Manicka is a
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
n-born novelist,
who divides her time between Malaysia and the United Kingdom.
Background, education
Manicka grew up in
Terengganu
Terengganu (; Terengganu Malay: ''Tranung'', Jawi: ), formerly spelled Trengganu or Tringganu, is a sultanate and constitutive state of federal Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, ''Dāru l- Īmān'' ("Abode of Faith"). ...
and attended the University of Malaysia, where she received a business degree.
''The Rice Mother'', first novel
Infused with her own
Sri Lankan Tamil
Sri Lankan Tamils ( or ), also known as Ceylon Tamils or Eelam Tamils, are Tamils native to the South Asian island state of Sri Lanka. Today, they constitute a majority in the Northern Province, live in significant numbers in the Eastern Pr ...
family history, ''The Rice Mother'' is her first novel,
and it won the
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 ...
in 2003 for South East Asia and South Pacific region.
''The Rice Mother'' is a "multi-generational story" and focuses on a Sri Lankan family living in Malaysia.
Lakshimi is born in
Ceylon
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
, and 14 years old, is married to Ayah, a supposedly rich 37-year-old widower in Malaysia.
On arrival in Malaysia, she finds that Ayah is not rich, and she has to struggle to care for the family, including six children.
Lakshimi survives the horrors of World War II and the Japanese occupation of Malaya. Rani Manicka's work looks at the family members’ deep scars, including those which afflict the young generations.
''The Japanese Lover'', second novel
Her second novel, ''Touching Earth'', was published in 2005, followed by "The Japanese Lover", released in 2009.
''The Publishers Weekly'' says of this work, in a review:
Bestseller Manicka (The Rice Mother) spins an epic tale of love, loss, and cosmic destiny in her gripping and eloquent third novel, set against the lush backdrop of Malaya throughout the political and cultural turmoil of the 20th century. Prophesied at birth to have a wealthy but disastrous marriage, Parvathi, a poor Ceylonese girl, is married to a powerful man who despises her; she survives life in his house by devoting herself to her children, to a kindly servant, and to Maya, a powerful healer. When Japanese soldiers invade during WWII, she experiences love and passion for the first time in the arms of a commanding officer named Hattori.
''Black Jack, third novel''
Her latest work titled "Black Jack" was published in 2013.
References
External links
Facebook page
Malaysian novelists
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
Malaysian women writers
Malaysian women novelists
Sri Lankan Tamil writers
Malaysian Hindus
Sri Lankan Hindus
Malaysian people of Indian descent
Malaysian people of Sri Lankan Tamil descent
Malaysian people of Tamil descent
Malaysian emigrants to the United Kingdom
British people of Sri Lankan Tamil descent
Writers from Surrey
21st-century Malaysian people
21st-century novelists
21st-century Malaysian women writers
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