The Gratiaen Trust, in association with John Keells Foundation and with the support of the British Council, announced Ramya Jirasinghe for her captivating book titled Father Cabraal’s Recipe for Love Cake the winner of the 31st Gratiaen Prize. The award ceremony was held at the Stables, Park Street Mews, the official venue partner for the event. Father Cabraal’s Recipe for Love Cake by Ramya Jirasinghe was selected from five incredibly powerful shortlisted works.
In alphabetical order, A Passing Return by Pasan Jayasinghe (Travelogue – Unpublished); Gnanam by Selvi Sachithanandam (Biography – Published); Students and Rebels by Vihanga Perera (Novel – Published) and When Ghosts Die by Lal Medawattegedara (Novel – Unpublished). The jury described Father Cabraal’s Recipe for Love Cake as an evocative, moving story of Katharina, and her passion for love cake and her home. Ramya Jirasinghe’s ambitious, tightly structured and perceptive novel traces intriguing layers of Sri Lankan history, especially the role of African traders.
Notable for its attention to sensory detail, Father Cabraal’s Recipe for Love Cake explores ideas of home, belonging and place. In a joint statement, Co-chairs of the Gratiaen Trust, Nafeesa Amiruddeen and Nisreen Jafferjee stated, “We are delighted that Ramya’s book was selected as the winner of the 31st Gratiaen Prize. This year we were pleased to note the wide gamut of genres and creative writing styles that were submitted.
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