Shehan Karunatilaka, author of 'Chinaman' wins the Commonwealth Book Prize for the year 2012.

IBNA: According to ibnlive, the Sri Lankan author won the 10,000 pounds award for his debut novel Chinaman: the Legend of Pradeep Mathew. Karunatilaka won the award after beating names like Rahul Bhattacharya.

The award, won in the past by Peter Carey, Christos Tsiolkas and Aminatta Forna, has been relaunched this year by the Commonwealth Foundation's Commonwealth writers' programme to target and identify new talent, and goes to a first novel.

'Chinaman' a cricket themed book has received rave reviews world over. 

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 basslines. 

Earlier this year he also won the DSC Literature Prize for South Asia worth 50 thousand dollars.

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