Shehan Karunatilaka, Chinaman

Marlon Ariyasinghe (University of Geneva)

Ed. by Birte Heidemann, Technische Universität Dresden
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 10.3.4: Sri Lankan Writing and Culture.
Vol. editors: Claire Gallien (Université Paul Valéry Montpellier 3), Birte Heidemann (Technische Universität Dresden), Pavan Kumar Malreddy (J W Goethe University of Frankfurt), Delphine Munos (Université de Liège)

Dates

First circulation or publication 2010

Places

Sri Lanka (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Novel

Resources

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Shehan Karunatilaka’s award-winning debut novel

Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew

can be summed up in one word: a

doosra

Doosra

, meaning "the other one" in Hindi and Urdu, is a surprise delivery in cricket used by off-spin bowlers that spins in the opposite direction to an off-break (the default delivery of off-spinners). Much like a

doosra

Chinaman

was a surprise hit and achieved an unprecedented amount of success for a Sri Lankan novel in English. Its manuscript was first recognised at the island’s Gratiaen Prize in 2010 and then went on to win both the DSC Prizefor South Asian writing and the Commonwealth Book Prize in 2012.

At the centre of the novel about unrealised genius is W.G. Karunasena, a dying alcoholic and journalist who tries to unravel the mysterious

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1505 words

Citation: Ariyasinghe, Marlon. "Chinaman". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 10 September 2019 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=38944, accessed 21 November 2024.]

Shehan Karunatilaka, Chinaman

Dates

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