The Shortlist for the third Fairway National Literary Awards will be announced on 31st August 2017. These awards – the most lucrative literary awards presently on offer in Sri Lanka – are presented annually to the best novels published in Sri Lanka in English, Sinhala and Tamil.
A total of 106 entries have been received this year. The panel of judges in each language category has been selected through a rigorous process and comprises, in each case, an academic, a creative person and an informed reader. On 31st August 2017 the judges will present their thoughts and comments regarding the process of adjudication as well as the quality of the novels that they have reviewed and finally reveal the Shortlist of up to five novels in each language category.
All shortlisted authors will receive Rs. 100,000/- each, while the eventual winner in each language category will receive a handsome prize of Rs. 500,000/- each. The grand final award ceremony will be held during the Fairway Galle Literary Festival 2018 which is scheduled for January 24th to 28th 2018.
The 2016 Fairway National Literary Awards were won by Theena Kumaragurunathan for First Utterance in the English category, Tennyson Perera for Maha Ravana in the Sinhala category and M. Sivalingam for Pancham Pilaika Wantha Seemai in the Tamil category.
Inaugurated in 2015 by Fairway Holdings (Pvt.) Ltd. to coincide with its title sponsorship of the Fairway Galle Literary Festival, the Fairway National Literary Awards has become one of the most looked forward to events in the local literary calendar.