Shankari Chandran Wins Miles Franklin Literary Award
Shankari Chandran’s Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens Wins 2023 Miles Franklin literary award Sydney-based Tamil author, Shankari Chandran, received the prestigious Miles Franklin literary award 2023 for her intergenerational epic masterpiece, Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens.
Chandran’s third novel, themed on a culture war unfolding within a nursing home, has bagged Australia’s most prestigious literary award.
Despite its success, she confesses she almost succumbed to her fear of writing it.
The novel throws light on Australia’s difficult relationship with multiculturalism and postcolonial trauma. Chandran, who is also an accomplished lawyer, picked up the prestigious AUD 60,000 award in Sydney on Tuesday evening.
The judges lauded Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens, Chanran’s third novel, set against the backdrop of a modern western Sydney aged care facility and Sri Lanka’s harsh civil war, for its excellent character development, compelling dialogue, and gripping action sequences.
The judges collectively stated, “The narrative cautiously navigates controversial historical assertions. It underscores the truism that overlooked atrocities are doomed to recur.
Furthermore, it reminds us that revisiting and recasting history necessitates the inclusion of the narratives of our fellow storytellers.”
Chandran disclosed that her book “Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens” nearly didn’t see the light of day.
The tepid sales of her former publication, a science fiction thriller named “The Barrier,” and the publishers’ outright rejection of her subsequent manuscript had almost discouraged her.
Faced with the feeling that “Chai Time” might not make it to the Australian publishing market, Chandran claimed she found freedom in writing as she desired with utter transparency.
This experience proved liberating for her, and she felt it was the perfect opportunity to delve into matters of race and identity in Australia.
Chandran’s parents, who were both physicians, escaped from Sri Lanka amidst the imminent threat of the civil war. They initially sought refuge in the UK, where Chandran was born.
Within three years, they relocated to Australia. Chandran spent her childhood in the suburbs of Canberra, perpetually contemplating her place in society and the conditions for societal approval.
Chandran commented, “The complexities of my identity, my family’s history, cultural background, religious and spiritual practices, even something as simple as my skin color, aren’t always readily accepted here.”
“I had never previously had the confidence or bravery to delve into this matter within the literature. It was a topic privately discussed with myself or confidentially with other Sri Lankan Tamils.
Discussions of it were quiet, conducted subtly as if under constant scrutiny. Expressing such thoughts appeared forbidden not only due to safety concerns but also due to feelings of ingratitude.”, she added.
The panel of judges for 2023 included several esteemed individuals from diverse backgrounds. The chair, Richard Neville, serves as the Mitchell Librarian at the State Library of NSW.
Bernadette Brennan, an accomplished author, and literary critic, was also part of this panel.
Two academics joined them, Mridula Nath Chakraborty who is also a translator, and the poet Elfie Shiosaki. Critic James Ley completed this distinguished panel.