The award for Best English Novel was awarded to Nayomi Munaweera for her novel “What Lies Between Us” at the State Literary Awards Ceremony held under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena at the Nelum Pokuna Theatre, on September 8, 2017. The awards ceremony gives due accolade to the literati who enrich the field of literature in Sri Lanka with their creations.

Nayomi Munaweera was born in Sri Lanka and grew up in Nigeria. She emigrated to the United States in her early teens, and now lives in Oakland, CA. Her debut novel” Island of a Thousand Mirrors” won the 2013 Commonwealth Book Prize for the Asian Region was longlisted for the 2012 Man Asian Literary Prize, won the Commonwealth Regional Prize for Asia in 2013.It was long listed for the International DUBLIN Literary Award and short listed for the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature and she even won a Godage prize for best emerging author. “What lies Between us” is her second novel.