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One of the world’s most acclaimed authors will discuss the craft of writing, the risks of truth-telling and postcolonial politics during a visit to ���ϲ����� on Monday, Oct. 7.

Shehan Karunatilaka won — one of the most prestigious awards given for works in the English language — in 2022 for his novel “The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida.” The book is an absurdist comedy, murder mystery and political satire set during Sri Lanka’s civil war in the 1980s. Karunatilaka will discuss his work, its impact on his country, Sri Lanka and the process of bringing his fiction to Western audiences with Assistant Professor of English Dinidu Karunanayake at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7, in Schar Hall’s Turner Theatre.

“When Shehan Karunatilaka won the Booker Prize, it was a victory for all Sri Lankans,” said Karunanayake, who also is from Sri Lanka. “The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida” was published at the end of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s regime which was brought about by mass, nonviolent protests.

“The novel arrived when Sri Lanka was at a crossroads,” Karunanayake said. “At a time of despair and new dreams, Karunatilaka’s victory was like a fresh rain on parched land. It put Sri Lankan resilience and creativity on the world map.”

Karunanayake incorporates the author’s works into his classes, and this fall he included “The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida” in his ENG 3800 Advanced World Literature course. Students have responded enthusiastically to Karunatilaka’s humor and genre-bending, as well as his experiments with history, memory and the use of magic realism in his narratives, he said.

He hopes the audience will leave the discussion with new perspectives on the power of literature to make ethical interventions and a deeper understanding of Sri Lanka’s culture and history.

“Reading a book is one thing, but being in the same space to chat with its creator is a unique experience,” Karunanayake said. “I hope everyone interested in global politics, literature and humor will show up to share the evening with Karunatilaka.”

Karunatilaka’s visit is coordinated by the Department of English with additional sponsorships from the Dean’s Office of ���ϲ����� College, the College of Arts and Sciences; the Periclean Scholars Program; the Center for the Study of Religion, Culture and Society; the Provost’s Office; the Isabella Cannon Global Education Center; the ���ϲ����� Core Curriculum; the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning; the Global Neighborhood; the Peace Corps Prep Program; the Department of Religious Studies; and the Asian Studies, American Studies, Interreligious Studies, and Peace and Conflict Studies Programs.