Competition to complete Sri Lankan landmine victim's novel

Perhaps for the first time in the world, a Sri Lankan publisher is offering a reward to provide the ending to an unfinished novel. Author Nihal de Silva was working on his new novel Arathi when he was killed in a terrorist landmine explosion in Sri Lanka three years ago.

Publisher Vijitha Yapa has now published the unfinished novel and is offering a reward of £500 in a competition being held where anyone who provides a satisfactory ending will be rewarded. The unfinished book has been published and will be launched at the London Book Fair at the Sri Lanka Books Stall on Monday, April 19.

The novel is woven around a gamut of tenders, the underworld, arms dealing, betrayals and murder. It was left unfinished just as another unfinished murder mystery of the past, The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens. Supplying a conclusion to the famous predecessor has occupied writers from the time of Dickens's death to the present day.

Announcing the reward, the publisher Vijitha Yapa said: "Nihal de Silva always had a surprise ending to the three novels he wrote and this is an ideal opportunity to complete the novel as a tribute to this versatile author. We do not have a clue as to how he was planning to end the novel as there are no notes and we had only the unfinished manuscript." The details of the Competition along with an entry form are available in the book.

Nihal de Silva's first book, The Road From Elephant Pass won the Gratiaen Award for the best literary novel published in Sri Lanka in 2003 and the current edition is the tenth. The Gratiaen Prize was created by Sri Lanka born Michael Ondaatje from the Booker Prize money he won for his book The English Patient.

Nihal de Silva's book also won the Sri Lanka state Literary Award for the best novel. It has been made into an outstanding film and will be shown throughout India this year.