Shehan Karunatilaka, Author of 'Chinaman,' in Conversation with Actor Rahul Bose
VIEW EVENT DETAILSJoin Shehan Karunatilaka and Rahul Bose for a discussion on Shehan’s acclaimed debut novel, Chinaman, as part of the 2012 DSC South Asian Literature Prize Winner's Tour. Chinaman explores Sri Lanka and cricket, Sri Lanka through cricket, and the lens of cricket to uncover a lost history. It uses sport and the notion of fair play to look at Sri Lanka in a fresh way. Our speakers — representing different genres of creative writing and having diverse engagements with sport and society — will come together for a unique discussion that starts by using cricket as a metaphor for understanding cultural and sociopolitical landscapes.
Shehan Karunatilaka was born in Galle, Sri Lanka. He studied Business and Administration at Massey University in New Zealand, after which he worked as an advertising copywriter. He has also written rock songs, travel stories and bass lines. Chinaman is his debut novel and besides the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature, has also won the Commonwealth Book Prize.
Rahul Bose is an actor, director, screenwriter, rugby player and social activist. He has acted in Hindi films such as Pyar Ke Side Effects, Thakshak and Jhankar Beats. He was named "Superstar of Indian Arthouse Cinema" by Time magazine for his roles in English, August, his debut film, and Mr. and Mrs. Iyer. He is a former member of the Indian international rugby team and founder of the anti-discrimination NGO The Foundation.
About Chinaman:
"Why am I chasing a man who only played four test matches for Sri Lanka? A man who denied me interviews, delighted me on occasion, disappointed those he played with, and disappeared three years ago."
Retired sportswriter W.G. Karunasena is dying. He will spend his final months drinking arrack, upsetting his wife, ignoring his son and tracking down Pradeep S. Mathew, an elusive spin bowler he considers "the greatest cricketer to walk the earth." On his quest to find this unsung genius, W.G. uncovers a coach with six fingers, a secret bunker below a famous stadium, an LTTE warlord, and startling truths about Sri Lanka, cricket and himself. Ambitious, playful and strikingly original, Chinaman is a novel about cricket and Sri Lanka — and of Sri Lanka through his cricket.
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This event is part of the Asia in Writing series, which aims to bring together the freshest perspectives from writers across Asia as they engage in dialogue about their recent publications and the art of writing.
In partnership with: