This was his first ever recognition at state level, which he shared with Ananda Amarasiri for the best novel (translation).

He has turned down the award, as his book is not a novel (fiction), but an autobiography (If This Is A Man) of Italian Jewish chemist Primo Levy, who had survived the Holocaust after being arrested by the Gestapo in Italy in 1943-44.

After receiving the award, Viyangoda spoke to the secretary of the literary board, noted that it was not a novel and requested that the matter be sorted out.

However, the secretary said no mistake had taken place, and the professors in the judges’ panel had chosen him to be one of the recipients for the award.

However, Viyangoda returned the award and the cash price, to protest against the demeaning of an autobiography as fiction.