Evening of sharing their craft as Gratiaen shortlist is announced
This year’s Gratiaen shortlist was revealed on May 17 amidst camaraderie, canapés and cocktails at the British Council library- where the prize was thought up by Sri Lankan- Canadian author Michael Ondaatje and named after his mother Doris Gratiaen, exactly 30 years ago in the British Council lawn, or so the story goes. Established with [...]
Lankan doc among ‘Master Innovators’ at global summit on Ozaki procedure
Sri Lanka stood on par with other countries performing this complex and life-saving open heart surgery requiring skilled hands, at the first-ever ‘Ozaki Summit’ in the world held at the Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research in Bengaluru, India 2023 from May 18 to 20. Standing alongside Dr. Shigeyuki Ozaki of Japan’s Ohashi [...]
Showing the way to writers from vernacular-speaking background
Isurinie Mallawaarachchi, the ‘newbie’ of the lot in a Gratiaen shortlist studded with names already known, has seen the gritty side of life despite her ebullient self whom I meet in a chic cafe, sipping a cappuccino and dressed in white and gold. Isurinie’s debut collection Flowers Teach Me to Let Go is a frank [...]
Trinco’s old monastery where Sinhalese and Tamils worshipped
Lost in ancient Gokanna (present-day Trincomalee) is Velgam Vehera, the remains of a Buddhist monastery where once Tamils as well as Sinhalese worshipped amidst the dry, salt-tinged jungle tide. To get to these ruins, one turns off the isolated Trincomalee–Horowpothana road and travels the four kilometres through half wilderness, stopping to partake of plain tea [...]
Letters to the Editor
Noise pollution that drove me deaf and out of our beautiful home As someone who suffered acutely from noise pollution, I sympathise totally with the Colombo residents enduring deadly building noise at night. I hope Nadia Fazlulhaq’s article in last week’s Sunday Times, results in serious action to deal with this. Around 1980, we moved [...]
Appreciations
One of Lanka’s greatest sons who made his mark wherever he went Sir Lalita Rajapakse “Dullabo purisajjanna na so sabbattha jayathi yattha so jayathi dhiro tan kulam sukhan edhiati.” Sir Lalita Rajapakse in his Presidential address at the 43rd Annual Sessions of the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress held at Ratnapura said, “Whatever the sphere of [...]
Back to bamboo, a forgotten resource
It has been called the “cradle to coffin plant” or the “poor man’s timber” for its benefits to rural communities. But now bamboo has become a miracle plant, the “Green gold”! Bamboo has immense economic and environmental potential. Sri Lanka however although situated in the natural bamboo growing region of the world with a long [...]
They look like paintings, but it’s cotton waste
When you enter the first floor of the Lanley Paint Centre, your eyes are instantly drawn to an intriguing collection of colourful paintings – except when you take a closer look, you realize that they aren’t paintings, but all made of cloth. Nazly Zuhyle, Managing Partner of the family business, proudly puts forward a new [...]
Lanka’s pre-historic heritage and modern humans
‘Prehistoric Sri Lanka’ is the title of this month’s National Trust lecure. It will be delivered by Dr. Nimal Perera on Thursday, May 25, at 6 p.m. at the Auditorium of the College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka, No. 6, Independence Avenue, Colombo 7. Those who wish to join online, could click the link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89309795021 [...]
The Fantastic Play Planet, a show not to be missed
A cast of some 70 enthusiastic young actors will be on stage in “The Fantastic Play Planet’’ – an exciting collection of plays for both kids and adults presented by the Sashi Mendis Studio of Drama and Speech. The production goes on the boards at the Punchi Theatre on May 27 and 28 at 5 [...]
Soul Sounds Academy in concert for GFS
The Girls’ Friendly Society (GFS) presents “On with the Show” directed by Soundarie David Rodrigo and featuring the Soul Sounds Academy Vocal Department on June 2, at the Bishop’s College Auditorium at 7.30 p.m. The show is a fundraiser for the GFS Hostel Building Fund and various projects carried out in different parts of the [...]
‘A Kaleidoscope of Colours’: Different strokes by Zinufa’s students
Well known artist Zinufa Razik showcased the talents of ten of her student artists last weekend at the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery in an exhibition titled, ‘A Kaleidoscope of Colours’. Nazooha Fazal, Tiffany Ryan, Charmaine Vanderhoeven, Renuza Jaleel, Rushana Cassim, Menaka Galgamuwa, Athifa Sufiyan, Roshini Kanagasabai, Monika Rau and Shanti Jayewardene presented an array of [...]