For its moving story, for its constant feel of real life, for its consistency of narrative momentum, for its descriptive power, for its dramatic use of dialogue to define social context, capture character psychology and trace the development of a relationship, for its convincing demonstration that resolution of conflict and reconciliation of differences are feasible through mutual experience and regard, and last though not least, for its eminently civilized handling of the last degree of intimacy between a man and a woman, our choice for the 2003 Gratiaen Prize for creative writing in English is, unquestionably, "The Road From Elephant Pass by Nihal de Silva.

The Gratiaen Trust was set up on the initiative of Michael Ondaatje after his book, 'The English Patient' was awarded the Booker Prize. 'The English Patient' was later made into a successful film.                                                 
Spinning fiction out of a living, present day reality is a difficult task for even a seasoned writer. But Nihal de Silva has done it with a fair degree of success.- Hindustan Times                                                                                         
Out of the cannon mouth death and the deathlessness of love.- Carl Muller
A captivating mix of exciting narrative and picturesque descriptions.-Sunday Observer
Holds the reader's interest from start to finish.- Sunday Times
A useful contribution to the process of building bridges between communities.-Dr. Jehan Perera
A gripping novel. - Sunday Island