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Carmel Miranda[/caption]
Carmel Miranda, a local author, was recently awarded the Gratiaen Prize for her book Crossmatch. Miranda hasn’t been an author for long, but she is already making a name for herself in the industry, and her later achievement has only furthered her career and put her name on the map.
We, at Brunch, caught up with her for a chat on her book and more.
Miranda is a doctor by profession and a voracious reader by hobby, who discovered her passion for writing about three to four years ago upon a thought on whether she could actually write a book. So, she challenged herself to do it, and that’s how Crossmatch was born.
Speaking to her about her thoughts about being awarded such a prestigious literary prize, she commented: “I’m thrilled and honoured, especially because the shortlist was so strong. I’m pleased because I know that the publicity will mean that more people will read the book. Without readers books are meaningless.” She also hopes that her achievement will inspire potential first-time writers, adding that she is certain there are many like her who don’t have a background in writing but who have toyed with the idea of writing a story.
She also shared that being a part of the Gratiaen Long List itself made her very happy because some of the other names on the long list are very well-known names. “They are people who have previously been shortlisted, so I was delighted to be amongst them, which makes this achievement all the more amazing!”
Sharing some insight into the plot of her book, she informed us that it’s a mystery novel told by a medical student. “When a poor young boy succumbs to his injuries in the ICU, no one considers it anything but the result of a tragic accident. No one, that is, but Lotus, an introverted daydreamer who is drifting into a career in medicine more by parental choice than her own. As a chance witness to his final moments, she is unwittingly drawn into his case and soon finds herself both angry and upset trying to understand what really happened to him.”
From what we’ve gathered, the plot centres around questions that Lotus has, like, why, for instance, did the boy dash recklessly across the road into the path of a passing vehicle, why did he have contact with the same name as hers on his phone, and what was his link to the luxurious Lotus Hospital? Her sense of justice aroused, she follows a trail that leads her through the hospitals, slums, and mansions of Colombo. Miranda has an extensive background in medicine, which, she explained, helped her greatly in writing the book and worldbuilding.
On the topic of the ongoing pandemic, Miranda said that, since usually with her busy schedule, she can’t find the time to sit down and engage in her hobbies, she was granted that opportunity with the lockdowns. “I had been working on the book three years before it was published, but the pandemic gave me the time to actually sit down and finish it. I sent it to a few people to read before I settled on publishing it.”
She also informed us that it was her love for mystery and crime novels that gave birth to the idea for Crossmatch in the first place. “I wanted to write the sort of book I love to read.”
Miranda explained that being a doctor has left her no time to work on another book for a while since the situation in the country seems to be going back to what we refer to as the new normal. She also does the marketing and distribution of the book on her own, which takes up all the remaining time she has, so she commented that working on another book will be quite difficult anytime soon. She added: “I do enjoy the marketing and distributing aspect because I get to take it around to bookshops, and talk to people about it. When things settle down, then I would start thinking about writing another book, but for the time being, I have no such plans.”
Currently, she is focused on getting on with her life and her career while, eventually, finding the time to write what she hopes would be another potential award-winning book. “Although readers are clamouring for the next, possibly even a sequel, I’m still busy with the business of getting Crossmatch to readers both here and abroad.” She recommends her readers to watch this space for more details on potential books.
Crossmatch is available for purchase at Barefoot, Vijitha Yapa Bookshops, Sarasavi Bookshops, Chapters, Expographic Books, Rohan’s Book Store, and the Jam Fruit Tree Bookshop.
Carmel Miranda[/caption]
Carmel Miranda, a local author, was recently awarded the Gratiaen Prize for her book Crossmatch. Miranda hasn’t been an author for long, but she is already making a name for herself in the industry, and her later achievement has only furthered her career and put her name on the map.
We, at Brunch, caught up with her for a chat on her book and more.
Miranda is a doctor by profession and a voracious reader by hobby, who discovered her passion for writing about three to four years ago upon a thought on whether she could actually write a book. So, she challenged herself to do it, and that’s how Crossmatch was born.
Speaking to her about her thoughts about being awarded such a prestigious literary prize, she commented: “I’m thrilled and honoured, especially because the shortlist was so strong. I’m pleased because I know that the publicity will mean that more people will read the book. Without readers books are meaningless.” She also hopes that her achievement will inspire potential first-time writers, adding that she is certain there are many like her who don’t have a background in writing but who have toyed with the idea of writing a story.
She also shared that being a part of the Gratiaen Long List itself made her very happy because some of the other names on the long list are very well-known names. “They are people who have previously been shortlisted, so I was delighted to be amongst them, which makes this achievement all the more amazing!”
Sharing some insight into the plot of her book, she informed us that it’s a mystery novel told by a medical student. “When a poor young boy succumbs to his injuries in the ICU, no one considers it anything but the result of a tragic accident. No one, that is, but Lotus, an introverted daydreamer who is drifting into a career in medicine more by parental choice than her own. As a chance witness to his final moments, she is unwittingly drawn into his case and soon finds herself both angry and upset trying to understand what really happened to him.”
From what we’ve gathered, the plot centres around questions that Lotus has, like, why, for instance, did the boy dash recklessly across the road into the path of a passing vehicle, why did he have contact with the same name as hers on his phone, and what was his link to the luxurious Lotus Hospital? Her sense of justice aroused, she follows a trail that leads her through the hospitals, slums, and mansions of Colombo. Miranda has an extensive background in medicine, which, she explained, helped her greatly in writing the book and worldbuilding.
On the topic of the ongoing pandemic, Miranda said that, since usually with her busy schedule, she can’t find the time to sit down and engage in her hobbies, she was granted that opportunity with the lockdowns. “I had been working on the book three years before it was published, but the pandemic gave me the time to actually sit down and finish it. I sent it to a few people to read before I settled on publishing it.”
She also informed us that it was her love for mystery and crime novels that gave birth to the idea for Crossmatch in the first place. “I wanted to write the sort of book I love to read.”
Miranda explained that being a doctor has left her no time to work on another book for a while since the situation in the country seems to be going back to what we refer to as the new normal. She also does the marketing and distribution of the book on her own, which takes up all the remaining time she has, so she commented that working on another book will be quite difficult anytime soon. She added: “I do enjoy the marketing and distributing aspect because I get to take it around to bookshops, and talk to people about it. When things settle down, then I would start thinking about writing another book, but for the time being, I have no such plans.”
Currently, she is focused on getting on with her life and her career while, eventually, finding the time to write what she hopes would be another potential award-winning book. “Although readers are clamouring for the next, possibly even a sequel, I’m still busy with the business of getting Crossmatch to readers both here and abroad.” She recommends her readers to watch this space for more details on potential books.
Crossmatch is available for purchase at Barefoot, Vijitha Yapa Bookshops, Sarasavi Bookshops, Chapters, Expographic Books, Rohan’s Book Store, and the Jam Fruit Tree Bookshop.