MALAYSIAN-BORN AUTHOR SHORTLISTED FOR 2009 COMMONWEALTH WRITERS' PRIZE

KUCHING (Malaysia), Feb 23 (Bernama) -- Malaysian-born author Preeta
Samarasan has been shortlisted for the 2009 Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best
First Book in the Southeast Asian and South Pacific region for her novel,
"Evening is the Whole Day".

Preeta, 34, who hails from Ipoh, is one of two authors from Asia shortlisted
from among several new authors in this year's entries in the First Book
category.

"The Commonwealth Writers' Prize, a much valued and sought-after award, aims
to reward the best Commonwealth fiction written in English, by both established
and new writers, and to take their works to a global audience," the Commowealth
Foundation said in a statement to Bernama here.

"Evening is the Whole Day" is set in the late 1970s and 80s in Preeta's
hometown and revolves around a prosperous Indian immigrant family. It reveals
family secrets and class distinction, besides touching on early post-colonial
Malaya and the riots of May 13, 1969.

Two finalists from each region -- Africa, Canada and the Caribbean, Europe
and South Asia and South East Asia and the South Pacific -- will be announced on
March 11.

The two overall winners for Best Book and Best First Book will be announced
on May 16 at the Auckland Writers' and Readers Festival (AWRF) in New Zealand
while each of the regional winners will also be invited to take part in a
week-long series of community events and public readings.

Indian award-winning author Aravind Adiga makes it a double with nominations
for Best Book and Best First Book in Southeast Asia and the Pacific for his
works, "Between the Assassinations" and "The White Tiger" respectively.

He joins leading Australian writers Helen Garner and Tim Winton in the
line-up for the £10,000 prize under the Best Book category for this year's
Commonwealth Writers' Prize, organised and funded by the Commonwealth Foundation
for the 23rd year with the support of the Macquarie Group Foundation, the
statement says.

The overall Best First Book winner will receive £5,000.

The Commonwealth Foundation is an intergovernmental body working to help
civil society organisations promote democracy, development and cultural
understanding in 53 Commonwealth countries and the prize is part of its culture
programme.

-- BERNAMA