Shankari Chandran honoured with Miles Franklin Literary Award for novel “Tea Time at Cinnamon Gardens”

Tags: Awards

Sri Lankan-born Australian author Shankari Chandran has been awarded the prestigious Miles Franklin Literary Prize in 2023 for the novel "Tea Time at Cinnamon Gardens".

An Overview of the News

• Ten years earlier, he had encountered difficulty publishing his first book, as publishers doubted its appeal to the local Australian market, as it was not "Australian" enough.

• Chandran's award-winning novel, titled 'Tea Time at Cinnamon Gardens', revolves around themes of family, memories, community, race and highlights Australia's complex relationship with multiculturalism and the consequences of colonialism.

• The novel has been hailed as an inter-generational epic that explores the complexities of Australia's multicultural society and the miseries of post-colonialism.

• Chandran's story emphasises that our personal stories play an important role in shaping us as individuals and the fabric of society.

• Remarkably, 'Tea Time at Cinnamon Gardens' is Chandran's third published novel, which shows his growth and dedication as a writer.

Miles Franklin Literary Award:

• It is an annual award given to a novel of the highest literary merit that explores some aspect of Australian life.

• The judging panel for this year's award included:

  • Richard Neville - State Library of NSW Mitchell librarian and Chair

  • Bernadette Brennan - author

  • Mridula Nath Chakraborty - translator

  • James Ley - critic

  • Elfie Shiosaki - poet

• The Miles Franklin Literary Award is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious literary awards in Australia.

• Previous winners of the award include acclaimed authors like Thea Astley, Jessica Anderson, and Tim Winton, among others.