'I am delighted to have the chance to be writer-in-residence at Somerset House. To be by the river in the heart of London, within the calming splendour of this building is a great privilege. I am looking forward to helping Somerset House open the space up for more writers and readers to enjoy over the coming months with a range of readings and workshops and … surprises. And casting a line out of my window there, perhaps I might even find a story or two, like the fish in the river, unexpectedly swimming against the current.’

Romesh Gunesekera was born in Sri Lanka and has lived in Britain since the early 1970s. His first novel Reef was shortlisted for the 1994 Booker Prize. He is also the author of The Sandglass, and Heaven’s Edge which like his collection of stories, Monkfish Moon, was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. His fourth novel The Match, was described by the Spectator as ‘effortlessly accomplished.’

He contributes to the graduate writing programme at Goldsmiths College, and has been a judge for a number of prizes including the David Cohen British Literature Prize, the Caine Prize for African writing and the Forward Poetry Prize. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2004 and will join the Council this year. To find out more, visit his website.

Sign up to our e-newsletter and select 'Literature' to be first to hear about forthcoming literature events.