Kandy lights up with lit
It was a wholly enthusiastic gathering as the first ever Ceylon Literary and Art Festival opened in the historic city of Kandy on February 8, at Trinity College Kandy. The man behind the festival Ajai Vir Singh and curator Ashok Ferrey welcomed the audience and Trinity College Principal, Rev. Fr. Araliya Jayasundara spoke of how [...]
The Song of Ceylon and its unsung hero Lionel Wendt
On Monday, February 5, ‘The Song of Ceylon’ was screened as part of the ongoing KALA arts festival. The festival which continues until February 25 is organised by the Lionel Wendt Arts Centre. Very few were aware of the role played by Lionel Wendt in the creation of the film. In 1949, almost a decade [...]
Letters to the Editor
Crucial changes that are needed to uphold democratic principles The Election Commission acquired powers and functions, physical and human resources of the Department of Elections, with a mission to “Raise critical consciousness among all stakeholders, ensuring the protection of people’s rights and conduct free, fair and credible elections efficiently and effectively that safeguard the people’s [...]
Appreciations
An epitome of gentle goodness, she was snatched away from us too soon Sunethra Wijegoonawardena My first cousin, Sunethra whom I knew from the day she was born, was a gentle and beautiful angel amidst us. She spread her love, compassion and generosity, towards all those who came within her purview, regardless of class, caste, [...]
A writer of history rather than a ‘historian’
Sir Simon Schama became the Face of Britain Past when, in the early 2000s, he hosted that haunting BBC TV series called A History of Britain, which took us from troglodytes in chalk-cliffed Cornwall to the British Empire that covered more than half the earth. Dramatic and moving, it was the boiled-down essence of much [...]
A legacy to anyone interested in life-giving surgery
It is all about wielding the scalpel, oft not in state-of-the-art operating theatres (OTs) but in settings with minimal facilities – managing, adapting among numerous challenges, thinking on one’s feet and also not sticking to textbook lessons but acquiring new knowledge. Amidst this veritable treasure book of surgical information, what the author of ‘The Healing [...]
New film captures Laki’s perpetual sense of wonder
Dr. Martin Pieris’s documentary, “The Trouble with Laki,” masterfully unravels the extraordinary life of a man whose legacy goes beyond his sculptures and paintings. Directed with finesse, the film captures the essence of Laki Senanayake – artist, sculptor and gardener, whose canvas extended far beyond the conventional boundaries of his craft. Martin got to know [...]