The Shark Binder and the Gratiaen long list puzzle

I went to a great deal of trouble to prepare that entry. Submitting three printed copies from the precious ten given to me by the publisher means I have to buy extra copies to give to my close friends and family members. I lost a pen drive to boot. Then there is the loss of great expectations, a blow at a very difficult time

Now that the Gratiaen short list has been announced, I’d like to congratulate everyone listed. They wouldn’t be there if they didn’t deserve it.

But I am puzzled. I submitted my published novel ‘The Shark Binder’ for the Gratiaen Award 2025. Entries closed on December 31, 2024, and this edition by Neptune came out two months earlier.

I won the Gratiaen with my first novel, ‘The Mirage’, in 1995. ‘The Shark Binder’ was my first attempt at fiction for the Gratiaen after that win. I thought this book, a historical romance, would be a strong contender. Some of those who read it felt that way, too, and encouraged me.

When the long list was announced two weeks ago, The Shark Binder was not there. That surprised me, since I expected it to make it at least for the short list.

Our expectations and judges’ opinions may be worlds apart. But I would never have submitted my novel if I felt it wasn’t good enough for at least the short list. My own standards are quite high. It comes as a shock that it didn’t even make it to the long list.

I don’t like puzzles, and I’m puzzled. I can draw two conclusions from what I see as the outright rejection of my novel as not even worthy of the Gratiaen long list. 

1. The judges decided that The Shark Binder was not good enough to be on the long list.

2. Or, I am unofficially blacklisted from the Gratiaen Prize because I did not publish the Mirage in 1995 or thereafter.

If it’s the first case, I can accept the judges’ verdict, though I can’t agree with it. But it would help me greatly to know why they think The Shark Binder isn’t good enough to be considered a contender for the Gratiaen long list.

If it’s the second case, I think it’s rather unfortunate and would amount to a 30-year-old vendetta. If I’m blacklisted, my entry shouldn’t have been accepted. I received an emailed receipt in mid-January 2025 stating that it had been accepted.

I went to a great deal of trouble to prepare that entry. Submitting three printed copies from the precious ten given to me by the publisher means I have to buy extra copies to give to my close friends and family members. I lost a pen drive to boot. Then there is the loss of great expectations, a blow at a very difficult time.

If there is a blacklist, I presume it’s because I didn’t publish the Mirage as stipulated. The reason is that I was looking for a Western (UK or US) publisher. I have regrets about this failure to publish, but I will not apologise for my ambition. Unless we set our goals high, we won’t be taken seriously outside of (or even in) Sri Lanka. I know how high-minded these literary circles can be.

I won’t draw lines between national and world (universal) literature. I looked for a Western publisher only because I was trying to earn a living as a professional writer. After writing five novels, I am still engaged in that struggle, but I was a total novice back then regarding the realities of publishing. Now I understand that publishing is a merciless business, and we need to be marketers and marketing strategists as well as novelists to reach those ‘impossible’ goals. Writing a novel is child’s play compared to finding a publisher. I believe The Shark Binder to be good enough to be published anywhere in the world. But I simply didn’t have the luck or the necessary marketing skills. Period.

That’s why I finally found a good publisher here. My other novels will follow, including the Mirage. As for the Gratiaen, I will never submit any of my books again unless I am told why The Shark Binder was not considered for the long list 2025. I think I have a right to know. If the judges think it’s not up to their standards, I will never again make a submission. If there is a blacklist, again I will refrain from submitting, but please put that in print, so I won’t be wasting my time and money. I still have a future without the Gratiaen, it’s just that I don’t like puzzles.

Finally, if anyone within the closed circle of the Gratiaen thinks that I misused their money (Rs. 100,000 in 1995), I declare hereby that it was put to good use. I bought a used Bondwell 386 laptop for Rs. 70,000, an unthinkable dream with the salary back then, and I wrote two more novels (including the Shark Binder) with it until it was damaged beyond repair in an accident. It took the drudgery away from my life, and I am grateful to Michael Ondaatje for that.