Fairway Lit. awards: No winner in English category
Professor J. B. Disanayaka, the Chief Guest, pointed out that the Fairway National Literary Awards 2018, now in its triumphant fourth year, has moved from Galle Fort to Galle Face- both of them palm-lined, beautifully idyllic colonial settings by the Indian Ocean.
Tamil winner: Fernando Seeman Pathinathan receiving the award from Prof. Disanayaka
The fourth edition held at the Galle Face Hotel last Monday was a landmark in the history of the still young literary awards, in that it will from now on stand on its own, instead of being part of the Fairway Galle Literary Festival.
The award celebrates the best novel of the year in all three language categories: Sinhala, Tamil and English.
This year, the judges had decided not to award in the English category. The shortlist included Charulatha Abeysekara Thewarathanthri, whose second novel Stories won the Gratiaen Award for 2016, Zeelam by Naveen Weeraratne, The Chameleon, a thriller set in London by Seheni Hisara Kariyawasan and Rao’s Guide to Lime Pickling by Sandali Handagama.
The Sinhala category award this year went to Tharu Wisula Raya by Aruna Premarathne. An avid reader, Aruna had done a number of translations before essaying this, his first novel. The Sinhala shortlist was made up of Warana by Padmini Seneviratne, Aththani Kanu by Sepali Mayadunne (the 2015 winner), Balawa, Kandulu Gini Gani! By P.B. Jayasekera and Deshadrohiyage Nirmala Hardaya by Tharangani Resika Fernando.
Sinhala winner: Aruna Premarathne with Fairway Holdings Chairman Hemaka de Alwis and Prof. Disanayaka
The Tamil language winner was Fernando Seeman Pathinathan for Thottu Ponavarkal. The judges opined that the novel, “natural and engaging”, has a strong and unexpected end that “can be called unique.” “The strong and dynamic characters and relationships play an important role in the way the novel flows. Maturity, rich experience, novelty of narration and language proficiency is reflected in the novel throughout.”
Delivering his speech which harked back to Sri Lanka’s rich linguistic and literary heritage, Prof. Disanayaka addressed the writers in the audience, remarking, “I hope you will spread the name of our land as a land of creative activity- writing not only in English, but Sinhala and Tamil as well… I hope whatever you do will ultimately help to bring about a world of peace, prosperity and dignity.”
Chairman of Fairway Holdings, Hemaka de Alwis, said that the awards, offering cumulatively the highest value cash prizes within the country, have grown steadily, with the number of submissions increasing.
Mr. de Alwis also said that the country is in need of enrichment of education, and cultural education in particular, “because the moral fibre of this country is being tested with the prolonged conflicts and disrupted stability.” “The trauma that our people have gone through has to be repaired and healed. It is with this objective that we started our journey with the Fairway Galle Literary Festival- and the Fairway National Literary Awards,” he reiterated.