The queen of hearts
When she first heard the news, beauty queen Ornella Gunesekere was in a state of absolute disbelief; she thought the Miss Universe pageant organisers had made a mistake. Only when they reassured her and confirmed that she had indeed been voted as Miss Congeniality by her fellow 93 competitors did the reality sink in. Ornella [...]
His own ‘recipe’ for the wilds
Patiently, he “dug in” and waited in his vehicle. All the others came and went, casting weird looks at him and wondering why he was there without moving. They simply could not see anything. It was an overcast day, with intermittent showers coming down in Block 1 of the Yala National Park in the south. [...]
Letters to the Editor
Faced with an indifferent and inefficient CEB at a time of crisis Open letter to the Minister of Power and Energy At 4.15 a.m. on January 31, I began to get a strong smell of smoke that seemed to me like burning plastic. Then suddenly all the plug points in my home fused and we [...]
Appreciations
The genuine politician who spurned racism Anura Bandaranaike (On the occasion of his 70th birthday on February 15) A certain era in Sri Lankan politics stands stamped with the mark of Anura Bandaranaike, only son of a politician couple who achieved international fame, the late S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike and Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the world’s first woman Prime [...]
Fusion of creativity that will make Colombo come alive
HSBC Colombo Fashion Week enters its 16th year with the emphasis on launching the second phase of fashion development in the country, expanding its vision to impact, define and revive the local fashion industry. Over 30 designers both local and international are set to grace the runways from February 27 to March 2. The line-up [...]
Making the Cut: Understanding the role of editing
The Gratiaen Trust, in partnership with The Seagull School of Publishing (India), will hold a workshop on editing for creative writing from May 23 – 26. Making the Cut is designed for editors as well as creative writers who would like to further their editing skills. The practical, four-day workshop leading to a certificate will [...]
Canvas of social issues by young artists in the east
The striking works displayed at the exhibition by the final year students of the Department of Visual and Technological Arts, Swami Vipulanantha Institute of Aesthetic Studies (SVIAS) last week (February 5-8) in Batticaloa in the Institute were a telling social commentary on issues that impacted the young artists. The exhibition came to be when the [...]
SOSL’s next concert: Masterpieces by Beethoven and Mendelssohn
The SOSL’s upcoming ‘German Masterpieces’ concert features the music of Beethoven and Mendelssohn in a programme of classical ‘Greats’. The concert at the Ladies’ College Hall on February 23, will be directed by Dushyanthi Perera. The soloist at the German Masterworks concert is Soundarie David Rodrigo, performing the piano solo in Beethoven’s Choral Fantasia. The [...]
It’s 26 years old and growing
Kala Pola is 26. Having notched up a significant milestone, the vibrant, colourful art festival will return for its 26th run on Sunday, February 24, at Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha (Green Path), Colombo 7 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sri Lanka’s biggest open art fair, Kala Pola provides a platform for aspiring and established artists [...]
Writing from a privileged position
Vahni Capildeo’s poetry is dense. This sounds like a simplistic way of describing poetry but it’s the first word which comes to mind. The poems are thick with multiple cultural and literary references – Venus as a Bear(2018) alludes to everything from Icelandic singer-songwriterBjörk to 16th century French poetry. It pushes against familiar poetic conventions [...]
Beating the nerves and telling the stories
Francesca Mudannayake talks to poet, producer and spoken-word artist Nicole May The Green Room at the 2019 Fairway Galle Literary Festival is actually an airy tent situated by the shores of Galle Fort. In the morning sun, it’s breathtaking to look at but something else is grabbing Nicole May’s attention. She exclaims as a large, [...]
Cresside Collette’s Postcards from Home
Postcards from Home, an exhibition by Cresside Collette opens on February 14 and will remain open daily until March 7 at the Saskia Fernando Gallery, 41 Horton Place, Colombo 7, from 10 a.m. to 6 .pm. Born in Sri Lanka, Cresside Colette is the pioneer of en plein air tapestry and presents her first solo [...]
Around the island on a sailing boat
The Bolling family, in particular has long been associated with water sports. Jeremy’s love for the water has taken a different course from the rest of his family without sparing an ounce less of achievement. Over decades, his passion for swimming and water sports has developed into his love for sailing. For you land-lovers reading [...]
City hotels abuzz with Chinese New Year festivities
Hilton Colombo Ingredients flew into the air, as people stood around a table and tossed them up with their chopsticks. The ritual known as ‘Yusheng’ or Prosperity Toss for good luck was done on Friday, February 5, as the Year of the Pig was celebrated at Hilton Colombo. The Hilton’s Graze Kitchen has been transformed [...]
Rotary’s 15 years of fighting cancer through prevention and early detection
In Sri Lanka, where cancer ranks amongst the three leading Non Communicable Diseases (NCD), with over 15,000-20,000 new cases diagnosed every year, there is an urgent need to address this rising incidence and save lives, otherwise lost due to late presentation. Recognizing the tremendous value of screening and early detection which could reduce deaths from [...]
Sacred Latin Choral Mass at the restored Church of Mary, Negombo
The big bells of the beautifully restored Grand Street Church of Mary, Negombo will peal to announce the start of the sacred Latin Choral Mass on Sunday, February 24 at 6 p.m. Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith together with several Bishops and Priests will concelebrate the solemn Eucharistic service in Latin except for the scripture readings. This [...]