Romesh Gunesekera is a British author with a Sri Lankan background. Born in Colombo in 1954, Romesh Gunesekera explores motives from his native island. He grew up in Sri Lanka and the Philippines, moving to England in 1971. His first book, Monkfish Moon, a collection of short stories reflecting the ethnic and political tensions that have threatened Sri Lanka since independence in 1948, was published in 1992. His novel, 'Reef' was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Gunesekera lives in London, but travels widely for festivals, workshops and British Council tours. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the Asia House Festival of Asian Literature.