BC Kandy hosts evening of readings by Gratiaen winner and shortlistees
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Sharing a light moment: Jean Arasanayagam, Chiranthi Rajapakse and Neschantha Harishchandra
As Michael Ondaatje was awarded the Golden Man Booker Prize in London, on the same weekend, thousands of miles away in Sri Lanka the prize set up by him continued to give recognition to Sri Lankan writers.
A full house gathered at the British Council library in Kandy on July 7 to hear the winner of the Gratiaen Prize 2017 Jean Arasanayagam, and shortlisted authors Neschantha Harischandra and Chiranthi Rajapakse read from their works.
The evening began with a round of introductions by moderator Gill Caldicott, Director of the British Council in Sri Lanka. Jean Arasanayagam opened the readings, with four poems from her books ‘The Life of a Poet’ while Neschantha Harischandra read an extract from her novel, ‘A House down Queer Street’. Chiranthi Rajapakse wrapped up the evening reading extracts from her collection of short stories ‘Names and Numbers’.
The readings were followed by a discussion that touched on many topics – the nature of writing and revising, the factors that lead a writer to choose a form – be it short story, novel or poetry.
Sunela Jayawardene, another shortlisted author was not able to participate in the Kandy event.
In the concluding remarks Professor Walter Perera, trustee of the Gratiaen Trust noted that in its first year the prize was won by Carl Muller, a resident of Kandy (Muller was joint winner along with Lalitha Withanachchi), and is its 25th year the prize has returned to Kandy with the award going to Jean Arasanayagam.
Shortlistees Neschantha Harischandra and Chiranthi Rajapakse are also graduates of the University of Peradeniya. Considering all this it was fitting that the Kandy British Council should host such an event.
The Gratiaen Prize was set up by Ondaatje in 1992 and is awarded every year to the best work of literary writing in English by a resident Sri Lankan. The prize is named after Michael Ondaatje’s mother Doris Gratiaen.