Imparting acquired wisdom and lived experiences
After ‘In the Pursuit of Governance’, his memoirs published in 2002, Desamanya M. D. D. Pieris has now compiled a tome of his speeches and writings from convocation addresses to book reviews. We meet the eminent former civil servant in his Wellawatte home, overflowing with books and magazines. Dr. Pieris now in his mid-eighties, aided [...]
SOSL Pops goes trilingual
The Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka (SOSL), one of the old- est orchestras in South Asia, will be bringing something very special to the Bishop’s College Auditorium on October 20. The SOSL Pops Concert is among the fan favourites in their regular line-up, the sold-out auditoriums over the years a testament to its popularity. This [...]
Keeping memory alive: The exhibition on Malaiyaga Tamils shows the need for justice
A fistful of earth tied to a corner of a sari pallu hangs as one of the exhibits in the old Matara courthouse. This display was recreated by Sujata, a welfare officer at Oliphant Estate in Nuwara Eliya, inspired by a story among the Malaiyaga community. During the forced repatriation of Malaiyaga Tamils from Sri [...]
Letters to the Editor
The thrill of going to the Book Fair in these hi-tech days Finally, after days of anticipation I made it to the most awaited Colombo International Book Fair 2024, which was celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Huge applause to all who came up with this idea 25 years back. For 80’s kids back then, [...]
APPRECIATIONS
Fearless and faithful, she lived her life Magantha Sapramadu My cousin Magantha, who passed away peacefully last Sunday, was a remarkable person. Her abiding faith gave her the courage to face illness, adversity and loss with equanimity. She took all the lemons life threw at her and made lemonade. When the doctors detected a narrowed [...]
Reading (and ‘misreading’) New Zealand!
For a moment, it seemed that the sailor was mistaken…but then he saw it: a green knob of a mountain breaking the line of cloud: the southern island of New Zealand. (The Naturalist, Thom Conroy) Charles Darwin’s son, Francis, writing about his famed father surmises that “one of the greatest services rendered by my father [...]
Be a part of Senior Citizens’ Scrabble Tournament
The Sri Lanka Association of Senior Citizens is organising its annual All Island Scrabble Tournament on October 27 at the Hilton Hotel. The tournament is open to all Scrabble players, 55 years and older. The tournament will be played from 8.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. (including the prize giving). There will be two categories, Championship [...]
‘Channels’ launch and EWC winners
EWC, the English Writers Collective of Sri Lanka, launched their journal ‘Channels’ Vol. 30 and held the awards ceremony for their annual competition – Prose and Poetry 2024 – on Saturday, September 28 at the ICES, Kynsey Terrace Colombo 7. Chief guest Dr. Carmel Miranda addressed the gathering and gave away the prizes and certificates. [...]
Making conservation meaningful and sustainable: WNPS lecture
Prof. Sandun Perera and Prof. Sevvandi Jayakody will present an insightful talk exploring the future of conservation in Sri Lanka. Their theme for this month’s Nations Trust WNPS monthly lecture is ‘Meaningful Area-Based Conservation in Sri Lanka- Unravelling the Jargon of OECMs and ESAs’. The lecture will be on Thursday, October 24, at 6 p.m. [...]
Sri Lanka Design Festival 2024: Shaping creativity, innovation and connection
The Sri Lanka Design Festival (SLDF) 2024 which takes place from November 7-10 marks a significant milestone -15 years of driving innovation, creativity and collaboration. Presented by AOD (Academy of Design), this year’s theme, ‘Innovation Island,’ reflects a deeper undersstanding of the power of creative industries to influence economic recovery and social progress. This year, [...]
ARRIVAL from Sweden to bring sounds of ABBA
Sri Lankans have always loved ABBA, and here’s a chance to relive their music! “Music of ABBA, ARRIVAL from Sweden”, hailed as the world’s most authentic ABBA tribute show, will bring the timeless music of ABBA to the Paradise Beach, Mount Lavinia Hotel on November 23. This evening promises an unforgettable experience for fans old [...]
“Van Gogh 2” at Sky Gallery
Van Gogh 2, the second exhibition featuring the works of the legendary Dutch artist, Vincent Van Gogh will be on at the Sky Gallery of the ‘Fareed Uduman Art Forum’ from October 18. This follows the overwhelming success of their first exhibition, providing art enthusiasts and visitors with a rare opportunity to explore new dimensions [...]
A veritable vegan feast for Poya
The Mount Lavinia Hotel has upped the ante with its completely organic Poya Vegan Lunch Buffet, signalling a significant upgrade from its previous vegan offerings to a fully organic experience. The Poya Vegan Lunch Buffet is held every Poya day, from 12.30 p.m. to 3 p.m. In addition to the buffet, the popular eco-friendly Poya [...]