31st Gratiaen Prize - Report and Winner Citations
REPORT ON GRATIAEN PRIZE 2023
by Dr. Anthony Joseph
Firstly, I want to express my gratitude to the Gratien Trust, to Nafeesa, Nisreen, Prof. Neloufer and everyone else working behind the scenes, and at the British Council, for inviting me to chair the judging panel. I also want to thank my fellow judges Ms. Angeline Ondaatjie and Prof. Ruvani Ranasinha who were a joy to work with over this process.
Literary Prizes change lives. Good writing also changes lives. But how do we measure the creativity of one writer against another when you must read fifty-one submissions which include poetry, fiction, auto and biographical writing, drama, musical theatre and history. It may seem like an impossible task, but initially at least, it is not as difficult as it may seem. There are basic, technical elements which are common to all writing, things a judge is immediately looking for. These are, but are limited to: presentation, spelling, evidence of thorough editing, correct use of grammar, assured use of the elements of craft, characterization, authenticity of voice, structural integrity, layout, punctuation, a control of tone and language and a sense that the book is in dialogue with other books. These things show that a writer is serious, and is respectful to their craft and to the reader.
We also look for style, for a singular, distinctive voice. Would I be able to identify the writer from their writing? Is the writer doing something interesting or innovative with language? These concerns about an individuality of voice lead us, eventually, to what lies at the inner game of writing: magic.
The legendary jazz pianist Errol Garner, famously couldn’t read music. When someone questioned his lack of formal musical training, Garner famously replied, ‘No one can hear you read’. And what becomes clear when you read a well-crafted book is not always the writer’s technical skill, but their humanity. That amorphous, intangible magic that affects us on an emotional level. Technique is important but it is not enough. Technique alone cannot bring a reader to tears. I think the main task of a writer is not just to be a fine craftsperson, but to be human.
A writer should have a distinctively unique way of seeing the world, but their vision must also be universal. The best writing in any genre is stimulating, engaging. It looks afresh at our past and present and teaches us something we always knew but didn’t know we knew. Angeline, Ruvani and I looked for writing which was willing to challenge the reader, to challenge unchallenged historical narratives, especially important here in Sri Lanka - as in the Caribbean, where I am from, with its complicated layers of colonialism and struggles for identity. So, within the submissions for the Gratien Prize we also looked for work that celebrated Sri Lanka’s cultural diversity, that told its untold stories.
When a writer has been working at a craft honestly and seriously, like a musician they begin to have a fluid control of their instrument. This combined with a deep humanity has offered something truly special here: a text which transcends its time and contexts, crafted with a poet’s sensibility, and a historian’s precision. And so, the winner of this year’s Gratiaen Prize is Father Cabraal’s Recipe for Love Cake by Ramya Jirasinghe.
Winner Citation
Donna Isabella Katharina Silvaria, thirty-three years old and new owner of Santiago, the house with the first verandah in the island Fort, knows this about the cake which she makes for a living. A good love cake is like the memory of a lost lover’s kiss. - The opening lines of the 31 st Gratiaen Prize winner.
Through the evocative, moving story of Katharina and her passion for love cake and her home, Ramya Jirasinghe’s ambitious, tightly-structured and perceptive novel traces intriguing layers of Lankan history, especially the role of African and Arabian traders.
Jirasinghe masterfully intertwines the haunting colonial past with a vibrant contemporary narrative, incorporating lesser known historical events through memorable characters, including a remarkable Jesuit priest. She blends in intriguing details in a nuanced manner leaving the us curious and engaged. Who was Santiago De Melo? Where is the causeway that leads to this octagonal fort? How did Rajeev become a “Rebel”? The legacy of the colonial slave trade that thrived on spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg are literarily baked into the recipe along with wild honey and enduring memories, making the story as “unforgettable as a great love…..cake”.
Notable for its attention to sensory detail, Father Cabraal’s Recipe for Love Cake explores profound themes of home, belonging, and place, offering a richly layered and sensory reading experience.