A remarkable work of literary fiction by Shehan Karunatilaka, first published in 2022. Winner of the 2022 Booker Prize, the novel masterfully blends magical realism, murder mystery, historical fiction, political satire, dark comedy, and literary fiction into one unforgettable narrative.

Set in Colombo, Sri Lanka, during the violent years of the Sri Lankan Civil War, the story begins when Maali Almeida—a war photographer, gambler, and closeted gay man—awakens in the afterlife. He discovers that his dismembered body lies in Beira Lake, but he has no memory of who murdered him. Given only seven moons (seven days) before he must move on, Maali races to uncover his killer while trying to guide the people he loves to a hidden cache of photographs that expose atrocities committed by every side in the conflict.

As Maali journeys through a vividly imagined afterlife filled with ghosts, demons, and supernatural bureaucracy, he confronts the horrors of war, corruption, political violence, and personal regret. The novel balances biting humor with profound emotional depth, using fantasy to illuminate real historical events and the human cost of decades of conflict. Rather than offering simple answers, it explores truth, memory, justice, identity, love, and the lingering scars left by civil war.

Inventive in structure and rich in atmosphere, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida is both an absorbing murder mystery and a powerful meditation on history, mortality, and reconciliation. It has been widely praised for its originality, ambition, and unforgettable voice.