CONTEXT:

• Sri Lankan writer Guy Gunaratne was announced as the winner of 2019 Swansea University International Dylan Thomas Prize.
• He won the award for his debut novel ‘In Our Mad and Furious City’. Guy Gunaratne is a 35 years old British-Sri-Lankan human rights documentary filmmaker, turned debut novelist. He won over 5 other shortlisted authors.
• The other titles shortlisted for the Swansea prize were: House of Stone by Novuyo Rosa Tshuma, Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Trinity by Louisa Hall, FOLK by Zoe Gilbert and Melmoth by Sarah Perry.
• 2018’s winner Kayo Chingonyi won for his critically-acclaimed debut poetry collection, Kumukanda, which explores black masculinity.

BACKGROUND:

• It is awarded every year for the best published literary work in the English language, written by an author aged 39 or under.
• The prize includes a prize sum of £30,000 and celebrates the international world of fiction in all its forms including novels, poetry, drama, and short stories.
• The year 2019 marks the 11th year of worlds largest English language literary prize for young authors.