‘The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida’ by Shehan Karunatilaka

Shehan Karunatilaka’s second novel is a searing, mordantly funny satire set amid the murderous mayhem of a Sri Lanka beset by civil war.

Maali Almeida, war photographer, gambler and closet gay, has woken up dead in what seems to be a celestial visa office. His dismembered body is sinking in the Beira Lake and he has no idea who killed him. At a time when scores are settled by death squads, suicide bombers and hired goons, the list of suspects is depressingly long.

But even in the afterlife, time is running out for Maali. He has ‘seven moons’ to try and contact the man and woman he loves most and lead them to a hidden cache of photos that will rock Sri Lanka.

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida was announced as the winner of the Booker Prize 2022 on October 17 at a ceremony in London.

Shehan Karunatilaka is considered one of Sri Lanka’s foremost authors. In addition to his novels he has written rock songs, screenplays and travel stories.

Shehan Karunatilaka emerged on to the global literary stage in 2011, when he won the Commonwealth Book Prize, the DSL and Gratiaen Prize for his debut novel, Chinaman. The book was declared the second-best cricket book of all time by Wisden.

Born in Galle, Sri Lanka, in 1975, Karunatilaka grew up in Colombo, studied in New Zealand and has lived and worked in London, Amsterdam and Singapore. He currently lives in Sri Lanka. His songs, scripts and stories have been published in Rolling Stone, GQ and National Geographic. He has worked as an advertising copywriter and played guitar in a band called Independent Square.

His second novel, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, was announced as the winner of the Booker Prize 2022 on October 17 at a ceremony in London.

Book discussion: ‘The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida’ by Shehan Karunatilaka

When: Saturday March 11th, 2023, at 18:00 (6pm, Madrid local time)

Where:

El Paraíso del Desierto

C. del Dr. Esquerdo, 140, 28007 Madrid

https://goo.gl/maps/3cQPsHcEfRvjNTGe9

Language: English (we’ll debate in English)

Organizer: Adrian Diaz

Contact: +34 668853320

Mandatory: Read the book

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

It’s not necessary to book in advance anymore, just show up at the designated place on the day and time of the discussion and we’ll be there. We’re usually 14-15 people for the famous books, and around 9-10 people for the less known ones.

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