Shankari Chandran

Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandran invites readers into the heart of a vibrant but quietly troubled community in Sydney, Australia. At the Cinnamon Gardens Nursing Home in the serene suburb of Westgrove, residents come from diverse backgrounds, each bringing a unique tapestry of stories, traditions, and emotions. The nursing home serves as a refuge for those cast...

Nala and Rajan, a young couple, begin their married life in 1946, on the eve of Ceylon’s independence from Britain. Arranged in marriage, they learn to love each other and protect their growing family, against the backdrop of increasing ethnic tension. As the country descends into a bloody civil war, Nala and Rajan must decide which path is best for...

Song of the Sun God is about the wisdom, mistakes, and sacrifices of our past that enable us to live more freely in the future. Nala and Rajan, a young couple, begin their married life in 1946, on the eve of Ceylon’s independence from Britain. Arranged in marriage, they learn to love each other and protect their growing family, against...

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKPEOPLE FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2025 SHORTLISTED FOR THE DAVITT AWARD FOR ADULT FICTION A SHAMELESS BOOK CLUB PICK AN AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY GREAT READ ‘A powerful, well-crafted story’ – Sydney Morning Herald ‘A heart-wrenching yet hopeful tale.’ – The Sunday Age ‘A warm and generous read.’ – The Guardian ‘A fearless novel that reaches into...

‘a rare thriller that speaks with such urgency and passion to broader concerns in war: truth might be the first casualty of armed conflict but, sadly, the corpses of journalists are never far behind.’ –Sydney Morning Herald A breathtaking thriller from the Miles Franklin Award–winning author of Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens. Sri Lanka, 2009. Decades of civil war and...

WINNER OF THE MILES FRANKLIN LITERARY AWARD HIGHLY COMMENDED FOR THE BARBARA JEFFERIS AWARD ‘Deftly traversing time, culture and continent to weave a tale of both home and unbelonging, this is truly a novel not to be missed.’ —Maxine Beneba Clarke, author of Foreign Soil and The Hate Race ‘Chandran is an excellent storyteller.’ —The Weekend Australian ‘This is an...