Neighbours, friends and family: Galle Fort comes alive
View(s):It’s a Thursday evening with a chance of rain — actually, it’s already begun drizzling. At the courtyard of the Old Dutch Hospital inside Galle Fort
Juliet Coombe: All smiles
however the party rages on. Juliet Coombe is launching the third edition of her book ‘Around the Galle Fort in 80 Lives’ and her people — the many colourful personalities of the Galle Fort you’ll find in this book-have turned up in full force.
I’m sitting next to a group of five-year-olds — Nazri, Shabnaz and Chanul — who have spent their time giggling, shoving each other and then finally, shoving me off my chair. What’s your favourite thing about the Fort, I ask. Nazri points to a big jak tree; “That’s my favourite,” he declares. Why? “Because we can climb it whenever we want and look at people.” What do they like doing in their free time? “We go to see the jellyfish!” they grin. I’ve never seen a jellyfish, I tell them. They look at me sadly, shaking their heads. Poor soul from Colombo, say their expressions.
We also bump into Suriya Markar, who must be 70 if she’s a day but chides, “I don’t want to discuss my age, young lady” when asked. She has lived in the Fort for “30 years, all my
The people who have breathed life to the fort: They were all there for the launch party. Pix by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
life,” she says cheekily and then amends it grudgingly to a 60. Suriya has never married “like the Virgin Mary,” she quips. She is a well-known face in the Fort and knows it, bossing everyone around including her niece Siththi Ryna. “I love everything about this place,” she tells us. “I have lived here all my life and nowhere else compares.”
Suriya Markar: A long time resident
“I knew this place when it was simply the Dutch Hospital,” she says of the now-shopping complex. “It looks the same to me, now there are just more people running around. It’s a good thing.” Suriya has seen the Fort change over the course of decades from a quiet, tightly knit community to an ebullient and forever busy hub for locals and tourists alike. The spirit of the Fort remains the same, she tells us.
It is this same spirit that Juliet Coombe aims to capture with her book, and so far she has received plenty of praise for the fresh, often tongue-in-cheek approach she has taken with her accounts of the people who have breathed life to this colonial stronghold. The Galle Fort is South Asia’s largest ‘living’ fort, in the sense that it is still occupied. Over the last 10 years, which is how long Juliet has been in this country, the Fort has rapidly evolved into a vibrant, cosmopolitan hub for its inhabitants and visitors. “It’s fantastic,” she grins.
Juliet came to Sri Lanka after the 2004 tsunami and immediately fell in love, both with the island and with her now husband, whose family owns 
an old Galle Fort establishment. She has made the Fort her home and in the process given back to a community that has welcomed and accepted her with open arms. The first book was published in 2007; it started off as a two-week project that rapidly mushroomed into a two-year one. “The reception for the book has been very good,” she says. ‘Around the Galle Fort in 80 Lives’ even made it to the American Senate library. “I’ve been told that it easily bridges the gap between the world and this World Heritage site.”
For Juliet the “incredible energy” of the fort is nothing without its people, and that is why she has tried to capture the fort’s story through the eyes of its own inhabitants. This edition is completely revamped to reflect the rapid changes within the fort over the last year and a half. It also features, for the first time, personalities like Kumar Sangakkara and an ‘experiences’ section to double as a guide for visitors. “We’re trying to encapsulate what the fort is becoming known for,” says the author. “It draws in all kinds of people. A lot of people who grew up in the fort have gone on to be at the top of their game and some of them worked very hard to make this book possible.” In addition, British student journalist Isabel Ashton worked as a researcher and co-writer for the book, while Kavinda Dhammika is responsible for its artwork.
At the launch — by no means a simple affair — a cake of the fort was cut amidst much fanfare and music, and a teacup competition saw some exciting prizes being given away to those who had brought the most creative teacup (or pot) they could find.
A short film by Atheeq Mahuroof captured the book’s vibe well, and the five-year-olds next to me were beside themselves with excitement at seeing their friends and family on a big screen. Atheeq’s film was a collaborative effort, with locals opening their doors to both him and Juliet with smiles on their faces. For Juliet this is an apt example as any of the incredibly open-hearted nature of her adopted home’s people; her neighbours, friends and family that she has so vividly captured in this book.
‘Around the Galle Fort in 80 Lives’ is priced at Rs. 3500 and is available at all major bookshops.