Karunatilaka originally drafted Seven Moons as an entirely separate project, originally envisioning it as a “slasher horror” set during the 2004 tsunami.
The creative process is an interesting one, and for 2022 Booker Prize winner Shehan Karunatilaka, the adage that inspiration and perspiration are equal parts rings true.
He didn't set out to write an award-winning novel from the beginning. It was a stroke of luck, he said.
“I thought I was just writing a murder mystery,” he said. his novel, Seven Moons of Mari Almeidatells the story of the ghost of a battlefield photographer who travels through the violent afterlife of Sri Lanka. The civil war claimed his life, and the novel is set in the backdrop of post-war unrest. Like many people, Karunatilaka harbored hopes for national rebirth.
“The war ended in 2009. We thought it would be a new start for this country,” he said. “But what followed was more anger, bickering and unfulfilled promises.” In this tumultuous socio-political period, “What if Sri Lanka's victims of war could tell their stories?” 'Right?' a thought occurred to him.
Believe it or not, Karunatilaka is drafted No. 1 seven moons A completely separate project, it was originally conceived as a “slasher horror” set during the 2004 tsunami. He originally called it “The Devil's Dance.” Something was wrong. He revised and rewrote it over the years, eventually scrapping the entire draft. “It's heartbreaking to spend time on something and then find out you can't get it back,” he says.
The ghost didn't let go
And after three tries he decided to throw it away, but one person in the manuscript wouldn't let go. It's a ghost on a bus named Mari Almeida. When he returned to the idea in 2015, Almeida became the center of the story. He is a war photographer and has seven days to solve a murder case.
“I realized this man had a story worth telling,” he said. And so a new story was born, an all-new rewrite in which he brought the character to life and elevated him from a sideshow to front and center of an upgraded story.
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It's a ghost book. “All the ghosts seven moons It is based on real people or real events from Sri Lanka’s past,” he said. Karunatilaka said he drew from real-life conspiracies, assassinations and terrorist attacks that were common in his country at the time. “The story takes place in 1989, a time of political assassinations and disappearances,” he said. “But my focus was on crafting a ghost story rather than conveying social commentary.”
As he wrote, self-doubt crept in. I wasn't sure if audiences outside Sri Lanka would be able to relate to this story. “It was a difficult book to sell and I wondered who outside of South Asia would pick up this book,” he said. The novel gained attention in India upon its publication in early 2020, but its international success remained uncertain. “There was some skepticism about how Western audiences would relate to the film,” he says.
After struggling to find an agent to get the book across the ocean, he finally connected with a small independent publisher willing to take a chance. “They said they saw potential but needed more effort,” he said. “We spent another two years revising and rebuilding it bit by bit.”
A book with many origins
But timing will work in his favor. Rewritten as Sri Lanka descends into new political and economic turmoil, the novel's themes of memory, loss, and resilience resonate with readers around the world. “People started drawing parallels between the story’s 1989 setting and today’s events,” he said. Karunatilaka, again, had not planned his story to reflect the unfolding events, but this adjustment gave the book unexpected weight.
Winning the Booker Prize was also an unexpected result for him. “When it was longlisted, I thought it would at least get some recognition,” he said. Making it to the shortlist was even more surreal. “After that, it felt like a one-in-six chance,” he said, expecting a different name to be called at the ceremony. “I had some notes ready just in case, but I didn't think I'd need them.”
From local viewers to viewers around the world
Victory spread quickly seven moons Readers picked it up in places never thought of in Karnatilaka, and it entered the global stage. “The book has now been translated into over 30 languages, and I have been traveling for two years,” he said. “It’s incredible that readers in Ohio, Seattle and Cape Town know this story.”
Karunatilaka said his next project is already underway. “The first book took four years, this one took seven years. So I'd like to think the next one will be faster, but we'll see,” he said. However, he described his creative process as one of patience and experimentation. “I'm more of a gardener than an architect. I plant seeds and see what takes root. It's never perfectly planned, and I rarely know the end when I start.” he said.
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