Swimming Upstream: The Rise Of Sri Lankan Writing In Aotearoa

Saraid de Silva’s bestselling Amma, longlisted for the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize, is one of a stream of successes for Sri Lankan New Zealand authors: romesh dissanayake launched a novel and a poetry collection in 2024, and Brannavan Gnanalingam launched The Life and Opinions of Kartik Popat, following his Ockham-shortlisted Sodden Downstream and Ngaio Marsh winner Sprigs. Dinithi Bowatte asked what success means and how the writers got there. Recorded at the Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival on 10th May 2025.https://www.booktown.org.nz/