Echoes of Ondaatje’s words ring out
When the Gratiaen Prize turned 30, it was time to celebrate and the Gratiaen Trust had pulled out all the stops for the awards ceremony on Saturday, June 17 at Westminster House – the British High Commissioner’s residence. Against the beautiful gardens where in the dusk, grand trees loomed and fireflies flickered, the gathering warmed [...]
English instructor who stumbled on her knack for translation
Manel Eriyagama was dressed in immaculate Kandyan with Agasthi mala as she stepped into the limelight at the Gratiaen Prize ceremony to receive the coveted H. A.I. Goonetilleke prize for translations from Sinhala or Tamil to English, awarded for the tenth time and always very exacting in standards. We meet in her Peradeniya home on [...]
Happy to see promising new crop of writers, says Romesh
It is telling of Romesh Gunesekera’s abiding passion for words that he has thoroughly enjoyed reading every one of the Gratiaen entries this year – a task that many would have found onerous. For Romesh, it has been part of what he gives back to the island that gave him his eternal Arcadia – the [...]
‘Dual identity gives a double lens on things’
Monique Roffey has fallen in love with Sri Lanka in just four days. “It’s very similar to Trinidad – only we don’t have tuk-tuks.” Here to conduct two creative writing workshops and a reading hosted by the British Council and the Gratiaen Trust to mark the 75th anniversary celebrations of UK-Sri Lanka diplomatic ties and 30 [...]
Letters to the Editor
How to tackle the problem of plastic As the news item, ‘Plastic Pollution, YZA hits out’ in the Sunday Times of June 11 points out, the Young Zoologists Association (YZA) is correct that the officials are doing only lip service to curtail the issue. Though non-bio degradable polythene bags were banned over five years ago, [...]
Appreciations
May the Rugby turf lie gently on this outstanding flanker Ralph Wickremaratne Ralph first represented Royal College (RC) at Rugby under Lionel Almeida in 1956 vs D.N. Frank’s mercurial Trinity College, Kandy (TCK) team. As Vice-Captain under Roti Sivaratnam in 1957 he scored a try vs Ken De Joodt’s TCK team at Longden Place and [...]
Conserving man-made waterways from colonial times
Dr Nilan Cooray will talk on “Man-made Waterways of Sri Lanka’s Colonial Past: Conservation and its Potential Benefits” in this month’s National Trust lecture on Wednesday, June 28 at 6 p.m. at the Auditorium of the College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka, No. 6, Independence Avenue, Colombo 7. (For those who join online: https://bit.ly/3CD5UQg) Sri Lanka’s [...]
He communicates through art
‘Silent Canvas’ – the first exhibition by hearing and speech impaired artist Rohan Vidanapathirana will take place on July 1 and 2 at the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery. Rohan will display 52 paintings – all abstract explosions of colour on diverse themes such as nature, animals, people – particularly the hardships of the village folk. [...]
Renewing her joy in painting
‘Reflections in Colour’ on July 5 and 6 at the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery in Colombo will be a renewal of the journey Jayani Pinnewale began nearly three decades ago when she was serving as Sri Lanka’s Deputy Ambassador in Italy. She held her first solo exhibition in the Isle of Capri and also took [...]
RASSL lecture on how a Buddhist monk influenced an Israeli PM
The Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka’s next public lecture will be on ‘Monk and the Prime Minister: How Ven Nyanaponika influenced Ben-Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel’. The lecture on Monday, June 26 at 5 p.m. at the Council Room of Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka, 96, Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha, Colombo 7, [...]
Shani to perform 3 great compositions
It’s a rare opportunity to hear internationally renowned pianist Shani Diluka, described as an “exceptional” pianist by Le Figaro, when she performs with the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka on July 8, in ‘Shani Diluka in Concert’ at the Lionel Wendt Theatre. The programme will feature three great classical music compositions. The concert will commence [...]
Buddhi Batiks: Looking back at a colourful journey
Buddhi Batiks is a household name in Sri Lanka, not surprising since it’s been around for all of 52 years. How this uniquely Sri Lankan brand blossomed and the story behind the creative genius of Buddhi and Ranasiri Keerthisena is being unveiled this weekend at the Lionel Wendt Gallery in a preview to a larger [...]
CMSC to launch ‘In Conversation’ with conductor Leslie Suganandarajah
Leslie Suganandarajah, the current Music Director of the famed Salzburg Landestheater, founded in 1775, will be the first guest on the first episode of ‘In Conversation’ an informal in-person chat series moderated by founder of the Chamber Music Society of Colombo (CMSC) Lakshman Joseph de Saram that will feature various personalities in music and allied [...]
A lovable lady turns 100
We in 2nd Lane, Ratmalana are very fortunate to have Lilian Kariawasam, a lovable, hospitable, 100-year-old as our neighbour. Mrs Kariawasm was at one time the Chief Education Officer in charge of physical education and sports at the Ministry of Education. Her husband (no longer living) was the Director of the Department of Meteorology and [...]
The GFS Hall is 100
The GFS Hall reached the grand age of 100 on June 23. It was a gift to the Girls’ Friendly Society by Charles Peiris, in memory of his daughter Elsie. The Society was established in Sri Lanka in 1904 and functioned for many years without a building of its own to conduct meetings and programmes. [...]
God’s Teamaker
Among the first things I had to do following my appointment as chairman of the Sri Lanka Tea Board was be briefed by tea-sector insiders on how to craft my dealings with the captains of the industry. Among those captains was Merrill J. Fernando, whom I had never met. And so, I had to rely [...]