Sri Lankan debut novelist Shehan Karunatilaka was awarded the DSC Prize For South Asian Literature 2012 for his book, Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew, the story of a Sri Lankan journalist’s hunt for a long-forgotten, and a fictional, Sri Lankan cricket player, Pradeep Mathew.

The ceremony, at which Karunatilaka was awarded $50,000, took place at the Jaipur Literature Festival and was attended by literary figures, renowned authors, members of the media and a diverse audience. The trophy was awarded by Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, Queen Mother of Bhutan.

A total of six authors were part of the Shortlist for the prize. Ira Pande, jury chairperson commented on Chinaman as “a brilliant narration of all that is both great and sad about South Asia and in that sense it brings a world to the reader that needs to be seen outside this region.

“The speech rhythms of smaller towns and indigent characters, so seldom seen and heard, are brought alive by [Karunatilaka] who handles character and speech with consummate ease. That world has long needed a suitable metaphor and he has discovered it: cricket. Set in Sri Lanka, as an epic search for a lost player, Chinaman is both a portrait of a lost way of life and a glimpse into the future this vast and vivid region is fated to occupy.”

In January 2011, the inaugural DSC Prize was won by Pakistani author H.M. Naqvi for his debut novel, Home Boy.