All topics came alive in Philip's hands
With the death of Philip Coorey, Sri Lanka has lost a newspaper editor
and author, whose successes were achieved both at home and abroad. He is
mourned by friends and colleagues in many countries. On the outskirts of
Washington DC, for instance, I received news of his passing away, from
Colombo via Toronto and New York.
Philip was a versatile writer with a wide range of interests: local
and foreign, solemn and light-hearted. He was equally at home with reporting
as he was with opinion-writing. He could make abstruse literary topics
come alive. He wrote more interesting sports "copy" than many sports writers
did. He could, at the same time, turn out editorials and other commentaries
on current affairs, that were robust and perceptive. He covered the founding
meeting of the Group of 77 with depth and with an understanding of complex
issues that continue to bedevil the world.
He wrote simply, directly, and with clarity; characteristics of a writer
who knows what he is writing about. His strongest interest was in the arts
and, particularly, in films. He was one of the best Sri Lankan film critics
of his time. His knowledge of films was encyclopedic, and recognized as
such. His "The Lonely Artist: A Critical Introduction to the Films of Lester
James Peiris" continues to be studied, discussed and quoted, and springs
up on the Internet.
His personal life was even richer. His parental family, and his own,
sustained him, as he sustained them. The two Coorey homes, senior and junior,
side-by-side in Havelock Town, have always been centres of hospitality,
love and laughter. Philip was a devoted son and affectionate brother. His
storybook romance with his wife Sardha, began on the university campus
at Peradeniya and blossomed throughout their life together. He was a dedicated
and caring father. He was a supportive friend. He was a charming raconteur.
To round it all off, he excelled at cricket.
Philip came to journalism with an interest that he had shown from an
early age. His enthusiasm, combined with his "Special English" degree,
made him a natural choice for Lake House, under Esmond Wickremesinghe's
policy of periodically recruiting staff direct from university who could
be nurtured, over time, to succeed their seniors. An extension of that
policy was that new recruits, whatever their specialization at university
might have been, were expected to immerse themselves in all aspects of
a journalist's craft from the moment they entered Lake House.
Philip revelled in this learning-by-doing apprenticeship. Although he
had specific writing interests, he had no inhibitions about trying his
hand at various branches of newspaper work, acquiring new skills and new
interests. He absorbed the knowledge his colleagues could share. His peers
took stock of the young man and surmised that he was likely to move up
the editorial ladder quickly. They were right.
Esmond, who kept a close watch on all the "hopefuls", observed Philip
at work and was impressed. He placed Philip under the direct tutelage of
Cecil Graham (my predecessor as Editor of the "Daily News"). Cecil shared
both his love for the "Daily News" and his high professional standards
with Philip, and helped to develop Philip's flair for newspaper design.
Philip was initially Features Editor and, subsequently, Deputy Editor
of the "Daily News" during my stewardship. Later, he was Editor of the
"Observer" and "Sunday Observer," and held those positions until shortly
after the ownership and editorial structure of Lake House newspapers were
brought under government control. While still at Lake House, Philip was
falsely implicated in a bizarre reporting event, when men and women spoke
out posthumously in praise of the fifth summit of the Non-Aligned Movement
being held in Sri Lanka. The details of that story do not belong here.
I mention it only to record the fact that Philip emerged from this episode
fully vindicated, with his good name unharmed.
After his years at Lake House, he did a short stint with the "New Straits
Times" in Malaysia, followed by some 16 years with the "Straits Times"
of Singapore (the two newspapers are not connected). On his return to Sri
Lanka, he edited the "Weekend Express". He opened the columns of the "Express"
to many writers, providing readers with an exposure to diversity.
All of us, whose lives were touched by his, will continue to remember
him with great affection and high regard.
-Ernest Corea |
